


A New Order

by Awakening5



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Badass Finn, Episode 9, F/M, Finn and Rey are your leads again, Force-Sensitive Finn, Jedi Rey, Knights of Ren - Freeform, Kylo is the villain, Prince Finn, Stormtrooper Rebellion, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-02-18 17:53:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 62,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13105470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awakening5/pseuds/Awakening5
Summary: The galaxy has not caved to the First Order. Despite Kylo Ren's fear tactics, the hope of the Resistance lives throughout the galaxy. Word has traveled far and wide of the band of fighters who will not give in. Stretched thin throughout a resistant galaxy, the First Order struggles to maintain occupation.Leia Organa and Rey have started a new Jedi academy, where a new generation of Force Users are being trained to bring down the First Order and the dreadful Knights of Ren.Together with Finn, Rey leaves the training in Leia's capable hands to join with the Resistance to answer a distress call. A long-occupied planet has decided it is time to fight back.





	1. Liberation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've resisted writing a book-length fic in the past because I like to finish my fics, and would only commit if I knew I would finish. TLJ left me more motivated than ever to write Star Wars, with a dash (or more than a dash, who am I kidding) of FinnRey. I disliked the way that movie portrayed the characters I fell in love with two years ago. So I hope my version of episode 9 can take that disservice and turn it in to a positive. It won't rewrite what TLJ did, but I hope it will make it somewhat meaningful.

In the dark of space, the planet Lenspero glowed a bold blue. Three moons orbited the planet in tight formation, red, green, and gold. The planet was nearly entirely covered in water, though colonization thousands of years earlier made the world an agricultural export to thousands of planets in the outer rim. Free of ever-changing galactic government interference, the Royal Family of Lenspero fostered a prosperous but humble world for generations. But the First Order needed to feed its troops, and a prosperous Outer Rim territory was the perfect solution.

The Millennium Falcon burst in from hyperspace between the three moons, joining them in the Lenspero orbit.

"There she is," Finn hummed, leaning forward in the back seat of the cockpit. Chewy growled in response. Finn had learned a bit of Shyriiwook over the past three years, but the most he could pick up was that one of the moons reminded him of home.

Rey smiled over at the Wookiee and then back at Finn from the pilot's seat. "Are you ready?"

He nodded before reaching forward and hitting the comm button. "Poe, we're ready to approach. Are your bombers ready?"

A voice other than Poe's responded, and Finn smiled at Rose's nervous response. "I'm ready, Finn."

"Good to hear," Poe responded. "Now, you two are sure you can do this?"

Rey smiled at Finn and nodded, and Finn couldn't help but smile back. "It's been a minute since we've gone on a mission together, but I think we'll do just fine, Poe." Rey had been away with her Jedi academy for several months now, and while Finn visited to train with them on occasion, they hadn't been able to spend more than a few days at a time together. Finn missed her.

"Good, because we need to be quiet as a turndon on this mission. We don't have the numbers to lose anyo—"

"We got it, General," Finn interrupted with a bit of an eyeroll.

"Commander," Poe's voice warned.

"Please, just trust us here. We're coming in to the planet now." The falcon cruised into the atmosphere, and Chewy activated the cloaking beacon. The ship may be old, but Rey's and his modifications over the past few years had given her extra life.

Rey frowned at Finn as they walked into the lobby, surprised by the tension. "What was that about with Poe?"

Finn sighed as he pulled on his chest plate and jetpack. "Poe's a great General. Leia couldn't have chosen a better successor." BB-8 rolled into the room and quirked his head at Finn.

"But?" Rey prompted.

Finn glanced warily at BB-8, knowing where the droid's allegiance lay. But he had had the conversation with Poe multiple times already. Anything BB-8 relayed would be heard like a broken holo stuck on repeat. "But he hasn't been the same since Crait. He hesitates at every move, and I know he's got the hundreds of Resistance lives hanging over his head from our little insurrection." Finn tightened his belt and fed a shockwhip and a WESTAR-42 blaster into their holsters. "It was a misunderstanding that now has him second-guessing every action and inaction."

Rey raised an eyebrow. "And that hesitation isn't a good thing?"

Finn shook his head. "If we'd hesitated at Starkiller, there would be no Resistance. The galaxy would have no hope. We're going to make mistakes, but I'd rather they be by commission than omission."

"There's more options than just action or inaction," Rey suggested.

Finn laughed. "You know, I always liked sitting in on your Jedi lessons, Rey. Light and Dark, it's binary. It's easy and real."

"Then you weren't listening very closely," Rey teased, prompting a smile. "Ignoring the Dark will only lead to it. If we want to remain in the Light, we have to acknowledge the Dark in us and learn how to turn it into a positive. Life isn't binary. There is a time for patience and observation, just as there is a time for action."

"Well, this planet isn't going to free itself while we watch it and wonder how ready we are to help." Finn turned to walk to the ramp, and Rey followed. "How we doing, Chewy?"

After hearing him roar something, the ramp lowered into the night sky of Lenspero. Finn and Rey held on to the ramp hydraulics and peered over the edge as they neared a palace on the horizon. The building stood tall on the massive platform that anchored deep to the ocean floor. Finn had to look deep into the night sky before he found the edge of the platform, and the water beyond. Finn turned to BB-8. "You ready buddy?"

He gave a few beeps of acknowledgment before launching a suction cable at Finn's chest pate and pulling it taut. Finn leaned back a couple of times to gauge the added weight. "You been overdoing it at the oil fountain, buddy?"

BB-8 gave an offended pair of beeps that had Rey blushing with his colorful language.

"Yeah, yeah," Finn grinned. "I'm kidding. You look wonderful."

The droid rolled up closer to the ramp and the Falcon slowed down as it neared the palace. Finn glanced over at Rey who gave him a determined nod. As the Falcon eased into a hovering position thirty feet above the palace roof, Rey leapt from the balcony. Finn admired her acrobatics for a brief moment before BB-8 rolled down the ramp and Finn jumped after him.

Activating his jetpack, Finn eased himself and BB-8 to the roof where Rey waited patiently, looking around for anyone who might have spotted them. Overhead, the Falcon took off, only a shimmer in the night sky intimating a ship had flown by.

BB-8 detached from Finn and rolled to the roof edge and gave a low beep. Finn and Rey ran to the edge and leapt off once more. Rey landed just before Finn and ignited her staff-saber with a broad swing. A Stormtrooper fell before he'd known what hit him. Her saber was built from the remnants of Luke's saber and her own staff from Jakku.

Finn loved seeing her wield the weapon, a reminder of her roots and her future. Though he was grateful that in their own sparring sessions, she rarely had the saber portion of her weapon activated.

Finn pulled out his muffled blaster as he hovered slowly down to the balcony and shot two more troopers, the hum of his weapon barely reaching his own ears.

Down the hall they ran, BB-8 staying on the balcony behind them after his rappel. He projected the layout of the palace before them as one final reminder, though Finn and Rey knew it by heart now after all their studying. They would work their way methodically through the outer hallways, instructing the citizens of the occupied planet of the escape plan and route.

"See you on the other side?" Finn asked Rey quietly as they reached a junction in the hallway.

"Can't wait," came her reply before she turned to her left. Finn watched her retreating form for a moment, finding the twirl of her blue staff-saber captivating. Then he turned heel and ran for the nearest room he knew to be occupied.

Coming to a bend in the hallway, Finn slowly approached and peered carefully toward his mark. Unsurprisingly, he found a pair of troopers guarding the door. Pulling out his shockwhip, Finn turned the corner and swung his right arm down while firing a pair of blasts with his left. The first trooper fell, and as the second raised his weapon, the whip wrapped around the blaster and Finn activated the current. The blast died in the barrel and the weapon exploded, sending the trooper flying back into the wall. Finn waited and listened for activity for a moment before proceeding to the door.

Inside, a group of well-dressed humans and Frimeks stood from their seats, anxious looks on their faces. Frimeks were the indigenous species of Lenspero, who had worked in conjunction with the Royal Family for centuries to improve their world. Humans operated on land, the enormous platforms over the sea, while the Frimeks thrived in their society below the surface. Both species were very active in each other's dealings until the First Order arrived and removed all Frimeks from active involvement in human affairs. Then again, they removed most human involvement from their own affairs as well as they controlled the exports of the planet for their own supply.

"It's a good day to overthrow your oppressors, wouldn't you say?" Finn said with a smile as he holstered his weapons.

Relieved smiles broke out among the political leaders of Lenspero, so far as they could still call themselves that, as neutered as their roles had been for two decades. One aged woman stepped forward with wonder in her kind eyes. "You're the one they call Finn, aren't you?"

Finn felt himself frown, unaccustomed to being known among strangers. "I...I am."

She wrapped her small hand around his forearm and whispered desperately. "You've come back for us."

Finn wasn't so sure about her phrasing of the plea, but nodded all the same. "I assume you've been made aware of the plan?"

A pair of Frileks stepped forward, the wide fins on the side of their heads bobbing with their acknowledgment. One pulled the older woman backwards while the other spoke. "You've set our escape on the northwest balcony, is that correct?"

Finn nodded. "There's a BB unit waiting for you." He gently ushered them to the doorway and down the hall. He couldn't help but stare at the woman who had called him by name, and she peered over her shoulder back at him as she retreated. In her eyes, he found recognition. And hope.

 

On the other wing of the palace, Rey sent her last set of glorified prisoners to their escape. She hurried down the hallway to her meeting place with Finn. When she arrived, Finn was there, a pensive look on his face. "Hey," Rey prompted, and he glanced up at her, startled. "You okay?"

"Hmm?" he hesitated. "Oh, yeah. Great. We've just got the Royal Family left, right?"

Rey frowned at him, but didn't press the issue. Finn was never one to hide things from her. When he wanted to talk, he would seek her out. She was rather jealous of how open and expressive he was. It didn't come easily for Rey, and she found she would often deal with things on her own for months before Finn would finally be able to coax her problems out of her, and help her.

"Right. And the Royal Family is in the middle of the gala with all the First Order officials."

Finn grinned. "It's almost been a full year since I've donned a First Order uniform to infiltrate a First Order event."

"Far too long," Rey grinned back. "I knocked a couple of officers out on my way here. The uniforms won't fit perfectly, but I think they'll do fine."

"Good," Finn breathed, relieved. "Because the only Officials I found on my way here were big, fat guys, and I did not bring my tailor tools."

Rey snorted before rolling her eyes. "Dork."

"You love me for it," Finn said with a grin before heading down the hall where Rey had come from.

Rey didn't answer, and her heart seized at his words. After a beat, she followed him down the hallway. His words left a furious silence in the air, and Rey didn't know what to do with it. They dressed without more than a few words of requested privacy and headed for the elevator.

A strange tune played in the elevator as they descended to the main floor. Finn turned to her, and his expression told her that he had no idea there was an awkward tension in the air. He was like that, too. "So you'll be able to convince anyone who looks at us funny that we belong, right?"

Rey cleared her throat and shook her head clear of any lingering questions about Finn's earlier words. "Officers often have stronger wills than troopers," she clarified. "I can't guarantee my mind tricks will work on them."

Finn stood up taller and adjusted his uniform. "Then I really wish I'd brought a needle and thread to take in these sides; I look all poufy and ridiculous."

Rey giggled. "You look great, Finn."

He smirked at her. "And you look good enough to overcome my conditioned reaction of abject horror when I see an Officer." He paused and frowned. "Okay, that was meant to be, like, a compliment. But that totally didn't sound like a compliment. You look amazing no matter what."

Rey laughed again, and the door opened, allowing her to ignore the blush on her cheeks. "Let's go, Commander."

On the main floor, the palace opened wide for great balls and galas. On this particular evening, the First Order celebrated 25 years of occupation on Lenspero. Most in attendance were officers in charge of the occupation and a few of their superiors, flown in for the occasion. Without these leaders, no occupation could last on a planet anxious for freedom. So long as the people had new and real leadership to take their place.

"There they are," Rey said, pointing to the large table at the head of the Great Hall. Finn followed her eye-line and zeroed in on the Royal Family that had been sending them coded messages for months. Planning for this day. From this far away, Rey couldn't see their expressions, but she felt the tension in the room. She felt the uncertainty in expectation. They were waiting.

Finn stepped forward, a practiced march. Rey fell into step beside him. She kept her eyes straight ahead, but reached out with her feelings for any sign of suspicion or aggression. As they neared the banquet table, however, Rey's focus began to shift. The Royal Family had caught her eye. A proud father, adorned in a sharp silver robe. A kind mother, her headdress unable to distract from the beauty of its wearer. Two gorgeous daughters, not much younger than Rey herself. And on each of their faces, a feature or two that rang so familiar to Rey that she forgot where she was for a moment.

"Sir," Finn's voice to her left shook her of her stupor. He was addressing the officer beside the king. "We've been instructed to remove the Royal Family from the room so that General Hux might address the celebration. He is anxious to show his gratitude and announce his plans for Lenspero without potentially interfering ears."

The old man scoffed at Finn's request, and Rey reached for the Force inside her in case the man needed some convincing. Though Finn's own words carried a weight in the Force she couldn't deny. Finn could deny it all he wanted, but Rey knew what she felt.

"This family learned their lesson about interfering in our affairs long ago. And if Hux is so inclined to speak to us alone, he could have at least made the trip out here, himself." Having exercised his allowed degree of rebelliousness, the officer then gave in. "But very well, take them away."

"Of course, sir." Finn responded, and motioned to the Royal Family to follow him.

Rey's eyes returned to the family of four. Their faces hid it well, but their hearts were thumping, emotions screaming, "This is it." And "This is _him._ "

Together, they hurried to the elevator. On the ride up, Finn peppered the family with questions. Was their person count correct? Could there be anyone else left in the building? Had everything gone to plan? All the while, Rey couldn't help but notice the way the princesses stared at Finn with unadulterated awe. How the Queen continually snuck glances at him. How the King looked oddly proud of this rebel who had come to free their planet.

When they reached the exit floor, Finn guided them to the exit while Rey went to pick up their clothes and weapons. When she caught up to them on the balcony, only the King remained, getting into a harness to slide to safety some hundreds of feet from the building, deep into the grove of trees behind the palace.

"You'll join us before it's all over?" the king questioned.

"We'll be right behind you," Finn clarified. He clapped the older man on the shoulder and sent him careening down the line.

BB-8 gave a few beeps, making sure that was the last of them. Rey confirmed, and BB-8 hooked himself to the zip line and took off with an excited whirl.

"Wanna fly with me?" Finn asked, sliding his jetpack back on.

Rey's heart tightened and the thought of wrapping her arms around Finn for the short flight made her breath catch in her throat. But, she knew better than to give in to those feelings.

"No," she managed, and was thrilled and pained by the look of hurt on Finn's face. "You know me, I hate flying if I'm not the pilot." She reached for the last harness and turned from him.

"Sure," he responded uncertainly. "I'll see you down there, then."

Rey sighed as he took off into the sky, and she quickly hooked on to the line and followed after him, finding no joy in the ride down below.

When she arrived, Finn had just landed near the Royal Family. "And you're okay with this part of the plan?"

"That building hasn't been home for 25 years," the Queen said, staring at Finn so intensely that Rey knew he was more to her than their savior.

Finn nodded and lifted his comm to his mouth. "Okay Poe," he called. "We're all clear. Light her up."

"You are Finn of the Resistance, correct?" The King asked, and Rey wasn't surprised they knew of him, given their reactions to him.

Finn still managed to look surprised as he turned and nodded. "Yes, your Majesty."

The man smiled widely. "We heard many tales of you."

"Of me?" Finn questioned, looking over at Rey, as if wondering why her name wasn't the one they were talking about.

"Oh yes, among the Stormtroopers, you are the favorite topic of discussion. Former trooper, destroyer of Starkiller, Resistance leader, freer of worlds." There it was, that pride in his voice and eyes.

"They talk about me?" Finn wondered aloud.

"Stolen from your home 25 years ago," the queen interjected. Her daughters watched the exchange closely, anxious and excited. "The day we made our last stand against the First Order."

Overhead, the cry of B-Wings came closer. Down below, Rey heard Finn hold his breath as the King revealed the truth. "The day they stole our son from us to teach us a lesson."

Behind them—no one seemed to care anymore—the palace erupted in concussive flames. The explosion sent a wave of red-orange heat through the trees, and the sound was nearly enough to push them over. But Finn didn't flinch. Rey wondered if he even noticed.

"Welcome home," the Queen said with tears in her eyes, shaking hands reaching out for Finn. "My son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Normally when I write a fic, I like to get a few chapters written as a head start. But I've got a vague outline for this one, and a lot of motivation to hopefully right some of the wrongs in The Last Jedi, most notably misusing the great hero Finn and neutering Rey's inner strength.
> 
> I'll be straight from the beginning, I'm doubling down on Rey being a random. I would have preferred a Skywalker, but at this point it would feel cheap if they switched it. And there are some great themes at play if she truly is a rando. As far as Finn's force-sensitivity, I have long been a believer that he is. I plan to explore that in this fic, but not in the ways that I have in the past. I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> P.S. If anyone wants to help me out, bounce ideas off each other, beta chapters, etc, hit me up on Tumblr under the same name as I use here. Or just leave comments so I know what is working and not working.


	2. Wolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True to Star Wars, there will be bad guy-only chapters. They will be a bit shorter. Because, you know, the villains should get less time than the heroes.

Wolves—in all their galactic variations—were hunters. Their strengths were optimized in packs, though isolation did not make them weak. And so long as their alpha gave no reason for doubt, the pack would follow.

Kylo Ren stood at his window, staring into the vast city of Curoscant. Its lights reminded him of the stars in space, and he longed to be out of this room and back on the hunt. With his pack behind him.

The door to Kylo Ren's throne room opened and General Hux marched in, the permanent scowl on his face deeper than usual. Behind him, a figure cloaked in deep purple sauntered forward. "Supreme Leader," Hux sniveled, impatience biting at each word. "Now is not the best time for you to request Knight Naz. Communication with the Lenspero System has suddenly gone dark and—"

"General," the Master of the Knights of Ren interrupted with finality while moving from his window to his throne, frankly unconcerned about whatever recent fire Hux had to put out. The galaxy may be putting up more of a fight to their control than expected, but it was only a matter of time before they gave in. They had already taken the core systems, and even with minor skirmishes there, the people had generally fallen in line. The rest of the galaxy would follow.

The man shut his mouth, and the cloaked figure stepped forward and knelt down. Shadows from his hood obscured his face from view, though Kylo knew his Force signature from years of training. His voice was young but harsh. "Master."

"Naz, I have sent a message to the other Knights. We will meet on Mustafar to find the Jedi once and for all."

"Supreme Leader," Hux rejoined the conversation. "I assure you, our scouts and best technology officers are working overtime in order to find this colony you speak of. Believe you me, no one wants to find the..." he hesitated now, eyes narrowing slightly, and if not for the Force gathering tightly around him, Kylo may not have noticed. "The _murderer_ of our previous Supreme Leader more than me."

Kylo knew the rumors. Frankly, it was a no-win situation for him. Either he had let the Scavenger defeat the Supreme Leader, the Praetorian Guard, and himself, or he had helped defeat Snoke in order to usurp his position and power. One day, when the galaxy was his completely, the Jedi were eliminated, and his Knights were sufficiently subdued or removed, he would reveal the truth of Snoke's demise.

However, he could not reveal that truth just yet. Kylo wanted to kill the past and all of its traditions, but there was a reason the Sith operated with a rule of two. It was easy for a Master to watch his back, should his apprentice try to take his position. The second the Knights of Ren doubted their master, Kylo wouldn't just need to watch his back. Every angle would be a threat.

Even now, before him stood Hux, a General who had no love for his Supreme Leader. Kylo had been forced to spare his most valuable Knight just to keep an eye on him, under the guise of protection. But Hux had a place in all of this. Snoke had been right about proper manipulation of the cur. Hux had built a beautiful army, technologies that the Empire had only begun to dream up, and had wiped out the Republic. Still today, he managed to occupy the galaxy with his limited resources.

" _We_ will take care of the Jedi," Kylo said, careful to make Hux's failure to do so evident in his voice. "You seem to need to focus on one task, General. The galaxy is fighting back, and you don't have enough troops to put them in their place."

Indignation swept over the General's features. "My Stormtrooper program breeds perfect soldiers, Ren."

The Supreme Leader reached out his hand and Hux lifted five feet into the air, his breathing suddenly difficult. "Your Stormtrooper program," Kylo ground through his teeth, "Yielded one of the Resistance's top leaders and fighters. Your Stormtrooper program takes fifteen years to give me troops. Your Stormtrooper program has not silenced the resistant cries of the galaxy."

After letting him squirm for a moment, Kylo released Hux, who dropped to his knees and gasped for air. "My program brought you NZ-0067, here," Hux managed defiantly, nodding at the robed Knight. Despite his anger, Kylo was impressed with the man's gumption. Knight Naz did not give any indication that his history as a Stormtrooper should have any place in this conversation. But it did give Kylo something else to throw at Hux.

"And yet you've only managed to bring me fifteen soldiers," he said tiredly. When combined with his initial inductees from Skywalker's academy, it was barely a unit to send into a battle.

"Then you need to decrease your demands on their blood work!" Hux got to his feet and straightened his uniform.

"We've taken the core systems," Kylo said instead, changing the subject. Truthfully, having more Knights terrified him. They were necessary to fight the allegedly growing Jedi Knights, but Kylo didn't like the idea of so many powerful Force-users being trained, even if he purposely withheld much of his training. "It is time you begin recruiting new troops. We don't have the time to wait for your abductees to age into the war. And further abductions will only heighten the resistant spirit of the galaxy."

Hux looked like he wanted to fight him on this, but the general seemed to sense it as well as Kylo did. It was becoming a necessity to expand the military. It would introduce a new variable into the system, but it had to be done.

"Very well, Supreme Leader," Hux admitted at last. With a nod and a look of reluctance at Knight Naz, Hux turned around and left the room.

Kylo appraised his Knight. "Do you have anything to report before we leave?"

The Knight stood and removed his hood, revealing the face of a young man. His face was square, eyebrows almost permanently angled down in anger. His lips were thin, but when he spoke, no teeth ever showed. Kylo had obviously studied his history for a long time before welcoming him into the Knighthood three years ago.

He was taken from the same planet as FN-2187. They were less than a year apart in age. Their Trooper scores were nearly identical, though FN-2187 was the superior marksman, and NZ-0067 the most elite melee combatant recorded. Kylo always wondered what FN-2187's blood would have revealed, had Kylo asked for the tests before he defected. Kylo knew he sensed the Force in him on that day on Jakku. But it was so vastly different from what he felt in the Scavenger, Kylo had long put it out of his mind. Until he spoke with Naz.

"Hux is the same pedantic general as always. He is talented, though. He manages to keep his finger on the pulse of each division of the military. However, he has taken special interest in my presence."

"Interest?" Kylo prompted.

"He asks about the Force frequently, trying to quantify its power. It is clear he has found texts or relics, given the nature of his questions."

Kylo sat back in his chair, upset with himself for being surprised. Of course Hux would instruct himself on the Force. It was the one thing that kept Kylo in power over him. If Hux hoped to find a weakness or an explanation, it only meant he was looking to overthrow him. Of course, _that_ didn't surprise Kylo.

"And what have you told him?"

Naz lifted an eyebrow. "Enough to make him think I was being forthcoming. Not enough for him to learn anything useful."

Kylo stood. "Excellent work, my Knight." He stepped forward and motioned for his Knight to walk in front of him and lead the way to the elevator.

After all, though Kylo was the alpha, his Knight was every bit the wolf as him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought TLJ missed out by ignoring these mysterious Knights of Ren. I plan on spending some time with them.


	3. Origins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Let's make it a Finnrey 2018, yeah?

Words failed Rey at the sight of Finn's family wrapping him up in their arms. It was everything she ever wanted, and her eyes stung with tears of joy that her dear friend could have this. His mother hugged him first, and his arms wrapped around her instinctively. Rey knew from many personal experiences how good Finn's hugs felt.

That nagging word. It was ever elusive. The word that was so foreign to Rey. She was only certain of its meaning when she was in Finn's arms: Home.

The King made it a group hug and guided his daughters in, and soon Finn was cocooned among family, and Rey momentarily wondered who would emerge. It suddenly dawned on her that Finn was a Prince. Depending on the age of those girls, he may even be Crown Prince of the Spero family, leaders of Lenspero for hundreds of years. The other freed citizens looked on the family with broad smiles, a reunion for their leaders and friends. Their eyes saw a Prince, surely.

After many long moments, the family pulled apart and wiped the tears off their faces. Finn wasn't crying; he was in a state of shock, it appeared, and his eyes only sought out Rey. She gave him what she hoped was a supportive smile, and he immediately stepped forward and grabbed her hand in his, clutching it like his life depended on it. Rey squeezed back desperately and tried to send him calming and happy thoughts through the Force.

But he was a mess, and Rey was grateful for the distraction from the situation when the comm link opened up and Poe's voice could be heard. "According to our scanners, the mission was a success. Meet at the designated spot for further planning and action."

Finn jumped at the call to action and immediately addressed the King. His father. "Your Majesty, do you have a transport prepared, as we communicated?"

The King frowned at the title. "Finn, I understand if you are not comfortable calling me father, but please at least call me Ahvmel. And yes, we have two transports prepared."

Finn's hand twitched in Rey's, but otherwise, he maintained a steady voice as he responded. "Of course, Ahvmel. Please lead the way, and I apologize if I'm not..."

He trailed off, and Rey reached her other hand to grab his arm and give added support with a soothing stroke of her thumb on his skin. Finn let out a sigh and gathered himself. "You must understand I couldn't possibly have planned for this, and I'm not prepared to think about it while there's still so much to do for Lenspero."

His mother stepped forward. "Of course we understand, Samuel," she said softly, and then closed her eyes tightly when she realized the name she called him by. Her daughters looked sharply at her, and Rey felt Finn shudder at her side.

The King stepped forward and held his wife. "Finn, please follow us to the transport. There will be plenty of time later to talk."

The family turned to leave, with the other Lenspero natives following shortly behind them. Rey held Finn in place for a moment as the party distanced themselves, until only BB-8 was within hearing range, his head swiveling curiously at the night's strange proceedings.

Rey stepped in front of Finn, adjusting her hand in his so she could better look him in the eye while still holding him. "If you need to take a moment, talk about this, and process it, I'm here for you. If you need to focus on the mission, I'll help keep you on target there, too."

Finn smiled weakly. "I found my family, Rey. Or, they found me. But it's them; I know it is."

Amidst all the happiness she felt for Finn, a cruel pang of jealousy struck. Her moment of familial discovery had resulted in being alone in a cave, and taunted by the monster Kylo Ren. Finn's biggest problem was being in a situation that didn't permit him to process.

Rey hated herself for the unwanted thought, daring to infringe on Finn's happiness, but she didn't have time to dwell, because Finn stepped forward. And then they were hugging, and Rey felt it all over again, that familiarity and belonging that was all she knew of the word home. And it was in his arms. She was suddenly healed of those terrible and selfish thoughts in this place of peace and comfort.

They held each other desperately until Finn's voice sounded close to her ear. "I'll want to talk about it; but we have so much to do. And I need to stay focused."

"Okay," Rey whispered back. "I'm so happy for you, Finn."

"Thank you, Rey. Thank you so much for being here."

They pulled back and smiled widely at each other. Ever since their meeting on Jakku, Finn and Rey had always been separated only to come back to and for one another. Whether she was taken to Starkiller, or he was left comatose while she needed to find Luke. Whether she needed to start the Jedi Academy while he felt a responsibility to the Resistance. Whether his Force training was always left unsatisfied and he would leave, or whether she could never stick around after a Resistance mission, the galaxy always seemed to be pulling them in different directions. But it would always bring them back together.

It always seemed right to be on their own paths; but it always felt more right when those paths converged over and over again. They were opposing sinusoidal frequencies. But the more time that passed, the more convinced Rey was that they were nearing the same asymptote, and would one day be in sync.

They made every effort to be with each other, and were always rewarded for that longing and effort in the emotional support they gave one another. There was no one in the galaxy that could mean as much to Rey as Finn, and she always thought his actions and words indicated he felt the same.

It was one of the reasons she always kept leaving.

She shook her head of her thoughts and tugged at Finn's hand to motion they join the Royal Family— _his_ family—on the transport. Poe would be anxious to see them and plan their next move.

 

 

The Resistance leadership huddled together in the conference room of a First Order office, in a building not too far from the desolated Palace. The office's normal occupants had been at that palace, and with a quick code-break from Finn, the Resistance and the King and Queen had gained entrance to the offices and First Order databanks within.

The room gave Finn an uneasy feeling, its oddly penumbral light allowing enough light to see clearly while somehow still feeling dark. The wall panels held the usual First Order vertically oval lights, while the rest of the office remained a dull grey with a false sheen of splendor. But, it provided the small crew with plenty of data, computer consoles for access to that data, and room enough to sit and discuss the state of Lenspero.

Finn was understandably distracted as Poe detailed the number of Troopers, bases, and vehicles as part of this occupation. He highlighted the main cities around the globe where the First Order was most concentrated, the militant oppressors now unwittingly leaderless. It was just a planet of thousands of Troopers and hundreds of pilots.

Poe was in the middle of a spiel about Tie Bombers when Finn lost his patience. "Enough of this. Let's just do it again. We have a broadcast tower here and the clearance codes of..." he looked on the screen in front of him, ignoring the pointed look of Poe to his left. "Of Major Drimmel. Let's send out a message according to protocol R49.2 and recall all troops to the main base in Sector 7." He pointed at the projection of the planet where the largest First Order base on the planet was.

"When everyone arrives, we blow it up. Just like the palace." It was a sound plan, and it would free the rest of the planet of occupation.

"Commander," Poe started, the use of Finn's title always a sign that the General was not happy with him. "There are too many variables at play here. We need to take more time to assess the situation."

Finn gripped the table, skin tightening over his knuckles, and took a deep breath. Behind him he could feel Rey tense, but she took no action to stop him, for which he was grateful. Finn purposely ignored the King and Queen to his right, unwilling to see their reaction to his words. He didn't want to know what they thought of their long lost son. He couldn't worry about that right now.

"General," Finn managed to say without too much vehemence. "There are too many variables _not_ to act immediately. Who knows if some captain in Sector 4 had a pre-arranged call with their superior, who is now dead and won't be making that call? Who knows if some Tie pilot was flying a little outside of their routine surveillance flight path and saw the palace blow up. That wasn't a small explosion, Poe."

"Yes," Poe agreed, nodding aggressively. "That's why we need to approach this more carefully. What if they know the order to recall is fake, and man the turrets at their base, and are ready for our paltry bombing squadron and pick us out of the air like flies?"

"And what if we sit around here for the next two days wondering about what we should do while they all figure out what happened tonight?" Finn didn't often raise his voice, but with all of the emotion running through him, he was losing control.

"Finn, you're obviously too hot right now to be thinking clearly."

"And you're not hot enough!" Finn shouted, the buildup finally pouring over. "We have a chance to free a planet after 25 years of subjugation! We have a chance to cut off significant supplies to the First Order. And you're standing here acting as though we need to wait for a better opportunity!"

"No, I'm standing here knowing we need a plan; that the Resistance is just now growing into something real again and we can't decimate our forces with shoddy planning."

Finn opened his mouth to yell back, but he felt a hand cover his, still clenched tightly to the table, and glanced to his left where Rey gave him a soft smile. Finn took another deep breath. "Poe, this isn't some reckless mission. This is a battle with real risks. But the risks of doing nothing tonight are much greater than my plan's risks."

Poe faltered. "You don't know that. You don't know what the risks are yet because we don't have enough information yet."

And even in his anger, Finn had to admit there was truth to that. "You're right. But I'm willing to take those risks with the information I have. Are you willing?"

Poe looked around the room. Finn knew his position was unenviable. He was trying to build a Resistance. But what was the point of building a Resistance if it didn't do any resisting?

"Finn, there are hundreds of lives at stake here, much of our fleet."

"No," the Queen spoke, the first voice to interrupt Finn and Poe's battle of wills. "There are millions of lives at stake here. And with some exceptions we are not a warrior people, but we can support the Resistance."

"Poe," Finn joined in. "If anyone has a desire to be careful with this planet, it's me. I've only just learned I'm from here—I want to be able to learn about my heritage. Believe me when I say this is the best chance we'll get."

After some hesitation, Poe gave a slow nod. "Okay, but under one condition. You send the message to recall all troops to Sector 7, and we spend the next few hours before the bombing poring over this data to find if there's anything we missed."

Finn hopped to the comm station immediately and sent out the call to return to base. More times than not, Finn only heard this protocol enacted when Hux was preparing to give them a speech. The speeches were always meant to motivate, to unite the First Order under their common goal.

Finn had always felt decidedly uncomfortable as Hux raged into his microphone about galactic domination and the establishment of order in the galaxy.

Nevertheless, the call issued, everyone in the office found a monitor and began scanning the First Order communications and documentation. Rey walked over to Finn to pull him aside.

"How are you doing?" she asked so genuinely, Finn couldn't be upset with her if he wanted. Of course, he didn't want to. Rey was a godsend. He didn't know what he'd be doing right now if she hadn't come on this mission with him. When he'd requested she join him, he had _not_ expected to need her for emotional support the way he had. He had thought he just needed a competent ally to infiltrate the palace with.

"I'm doing alright," Finn started before giving a light chuckle. "I mean, I lost my cool there for a minute, so maybe not _alright_."

Rey smiled sadly. "That's okay, you know?"

He gave a short nod. "I still shouldn't have bit Poe's head off in front of everyone like that. He needs some opposition, but probably not publicly."

"That's easy to say, but I don't think anyone faults you, given the situation. I'll bet Poe's not too worried about it either."

"Still, I'll go apologize to him." Finn paused for a moment before reaching out for each of Rey's hands. He'd done that more today than he could ever remember. And for the most part, she hadn't been retreating in on herself like she'd done for so long now. He loved the way her hands felt in his. The way he felt in these moments. "Rey, thank you so much for today. I can't...I don't know if I'd still be functioning right now without you here."

Her smile was celestial. She squeezed his hands, and Finn let his heart beat wildly in a way he had been hiding away for three years. Not only were they always on different paths, but Rey clearly never sought more out of their relationship than what it was. Any hints of romantic interest seemed to vanish as quickly as they came, and it was typically followed by Rey claiming she needed to leave for her Jedi Academy. Rarely did the excuse seem valid. But Finn had gotten the hint.

He'd moved on. He'd tried to find that same connection with Rose. But it wasn't there. Rose was a dear friend, but he never felt like an equal to her. He was either on an unfair pedestal in her eyes, or she talked to him like he needed basic life lessons given his upbringing. It could be infuriating, and the relationship hadn't lasted a month.

Unfortunately, the lesson Finn took from it was that he was hopelessly in love with Rey. Even when their interactions were imbalanced—Rey teaching him in futility about the Force, Finn describing his newly-learned code-breaking skills, Rey showing him why his jetpack had lost some of its power after the proton pump hemorrhaged some fluid—Finn never felt like he didn't belong. Rey didn't talk down to him, and he didn't view her as any different just because she had Force abilities nearly unmatched in the galaxy. She was Rey to him. And he was Finn to her. And he loved her for it.

And for three years, he'd been okay with loving her without asking for more out of their relationship. Despite her hesitation for more, Rey never let their friendship suffer. She was always there for him, as he was for her. So Finn might have wanted more over the years at times, but when push came to shove, he never needed more. And the thought of losing what he had with Rey was frankly terrifying.

But today, she had been oddly physical with him. Refusing to fly from the palace with him was expected, given her past actions. But since then, she had not withdrawn from a single unspoken request for that physical contact. She held his hand, hugged him tightly, and even sought out the contact to let him feel her presence and support. And maybe it was just the massive bombshell in the shape of his family that caused Rey to behave differently. But then again, the electricity passing through their joined hands had little to do with his family.

She looked at him now with an intensity that transported them to another planet. Isolated from all the people and all the problems in that room. The lift of her eyebrow, and that beautiful hint of a smile held an adoration he knew was only matched by his feelings for her. And for the briefest of moments, Finn tasted it again. The promise of what could be. In these fleeting moments, usually followed by Rey's hurried departure, Finn fell in love all over again. And he knew what he saw reflecting in Rey's eyes. He knew she tasted it, too.

This time, it wasn't Rey that interrupted the moment with a faltering excuse to leave. Poe cleared his throat and Finn found himself back on Lenspero in an office of Resistance, all doing the job he promised to be doing. "You know better than anyone what to be looking for here, Finn," Poe said. His voice wasn't impatient—he knew what Finn was going through. But he was still expectant.

"Right," Finn said, with a glance at Rey as he dropped her hands. She met his eyes before looking away, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Listen, Poe," Finn started. But Poe lifted an open hand.

"What you said needed to be said. We probably didn't need to yell it at each other, but it was the right conversation to have."

Finn nodded. "Then let me apologize for yelling."

Poe smiled back at him. "Accepted. Now get to work so my mind can be put at ease a little bit."

Finn quickly walked through the office where the small band was filtering through First Order documents. He gave out suggestions of what to look for before taking a seat for himself and typing into the computer his first item of study. Rey took a seat beside him and he smiled at her. She returned the smile, and that blush returned, causing Finn's stomach to flip.

They studied the defenses of the base Finn had just ordered the military to. They researched the radar capabilities. They looked at the news networks to see if there was any report of the palace explosion. They opened up all available comm links to listen in on any conversations had between squads.

The only concern brought up among the Resistance was that they would be blowing up a base full of weapons and vehicles that could be very valuable to the fight in the future. But Poe was the first to determine the opportunity cost of wiping out the First Order on the planet was far greater than those weapons.

The countdown continued, as Poe gave an update every thirty minutes. When there were twenty minutes until the scheduled bombing time, he contacted Rose and her bombing squadron. They were ready.

Feeling quite confident that they were not going to be played by the First Order, Finn decided to start looking into the archives, hoping to learn further about the First Order history to better know their patterns.

He saw a file that piqued his interest. _Project Resurrection: Stormtrooper Identification_. Expecting a long list of letters and numbers, Finn opened the file and stopped breathing. Rey immediately glanced over at him, and he vaguely heard her asking if he was okay.

"Ahvmel!" Finn called out, swiveling in his chair to look for the King.

The man who was his blood stood immediately from his own seat and hurried over to Finn. "Yes, Finn?"

The call had gotten the attention of Poe, who peered over the holo-map in front of him. Rey looked between Finn and the screen he had pulled up. He could practically hear the gears turning in her head, as they did in his now.

"You said that the Stormtroopers talked about me. About the one who defected."

"Yes," the King affirmed. "They were often reprimanded by their superiors for talking about you, but even so the chatter reached our ears."

"Did they speak in a positive light? Or call me a traitor?"

The king looked ponderous for a moment. "More of a curiosity. They wondered how and why you left."

Poe walked over, now. "What's this about, Finn?"

Inside, a war waged within him. He thought he was alone. He'd needed to believe he was alone, for all the Trooper lives he'd taken over the last three years. In battle, he couldn't hesitate. And in order to sleep easy at night, he didn't think about it. But now, he had to think. Now, he might have a chance.

Once more, Rey's hand found his. Looking at her, he knew she knew what he was thinking. She'd seen his screen, she likely sensed his emotions. He gripped her hand back tightly.

"I found out today where I come from," Finn answered Poe softly. "It was a question I only dared dream about in the dead of night, when all the other Troopers were asleep. But maybe they wondered about it, too. And maybe I can give that same dream to the other Troopers stationed on this planet. Offer them a choice they don't know they have yet."

Finn had the background information of every Trooper stationed on Lenspero. And if there was just one Trooper who might use that information to choose a new life, Finn had to give it to them.

He looked up at Poe's concerned face. "Call off the attack."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frankly, this fic was built on the foundation of Finn turning some Troopers. From a narrative standpoint, it's just about the only believable way to balance the war without jumping 20 years in the future (that was how long it took the Rebels to truly fight back against the Empire, and they were still insanely outnumbered and outgunned). But beyond that, it just fits who Finn is. Like, of course he would try to help these people. It's always his first instinct.


	4. Mustafar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's find out what Kylo Ren is up to, shall we?

Kylo Ren had spent much of the last ten years on Snoke's and then his own explorative wanderings through the galaxy seeking out pockets of Force anomalies, particularly those steeped in Dark. In those galactic walkabouts, he found his grandfather's helmet, he explored the famed cave on Dagobah, and found Sith holocrons hidden away for the rise of the Chosen One.

For all of the Jedi talk about their Chosen One, the Sith's own prophecy made it clear the Jedi had misinterpreted their prophecy. And Vader had been so close to fulfilling it.

Perhaps that's why, when Kylo Ren first visited Mustafar several years ago, he felt such a kindred bond with the place. Walking through Vader's castle gave him every motivation in the world to finish what his grandfather had started. Anakin Skywalker had lost the last of his Light on this planet, and the Force remembered. It hung in the air like a heavy blanket on an already blistering day. When Kylo felt that eerie call to the Light, one trip to Mustafar would set him right for months.

There was no question, then, where Kylo would take his Knights to call on the power of the Dark Side. Vader's castle was like a broadcast dish to the galaxy, amplifying their already great power, focusing it in a way none of them could individually.

Kylo waited in the gunner position in his new Two Seat Tie Silencer as his Knight Naz lowered it on the landing pad outside of the castle. He had opted for the fighter because he was very much planning on fighting today, and wanted to see how his prized apprentice was doing with his piloting training. It had been a simple destination, but all signs pointed to Naz being an excellent flyer. Kylo opened the cockpit door and awaited the wave of heat from the sweltering planet. He sent Naz out ahead of him before clambering down to the igneous surface below.

The Darkness swarmed him the moment his foot hit solid ground, and he looked up at the castle with awe and pleasure. The lava below cast a deep red glow on the dark purple robes of Naz in front of him.

"Is this your first time to Mustafar, Naz?" Kylo asked as they stepped forward.

"Yes, Master," the Knight responded. "It is a great privilege to feel the memory of Lord Vader."

Kylo nodded sagely. "My grandfather suffered here. And he used that pain to become the greatest Sith of all time. He did not hide from it; he embraced it."

Kylo felt his Knight ponder his words. There was determination in the man. Naz had had a unique life as a Stormtrooper. As a cadet two or three rungs above his squad mates, Naz was hated. He was isolated by their jealousy, and the punishment they received by not matching the standard he set. Some Troopers crumbled under the constant hatred. Some weak ones, like FN-2187, developed compassion in the face of hatred and jealousy in order to find companionship from the castoffs.

But Naz seemed to enjoy the pain he caused his squad, reveled in the hatred that ensued, and used it to improve himself. Beyond his blood work showing his aptitude in the Force, it was this psychological evaluation that made Kylo jump at the chance to initiate him into the Knights of Ren. If anyone could internalize Vader's lesson of Mustafar, it was Naz.

The only concern Kylo had ever had about Naz was the weeks it had taken him to bleed his light saber red. Then again, Kylo's own saber took months to bleed red, and the kyber crystal cracked in the process—forcing Kylo to turn it into a cross guard to give the crystal an exhaust for its excess energy. Of course, he had fooled everyone but Snoke into believing damaging his crystal during its bleeding was intentional, and that is why it took so long to turn his blue crystal red.

When they arrived in the main chamber of the castle, Kylo found that the rest of the Knights were already present. They had responded immediately to his command, and for that Kylo was grateful. They sat in a large circle on a rounded, stone bench in the center of the chamber. The floor was carved out in the middle of the circular bench opening a hole to the lava lake below them. The room was bathed in a red-yellow glow, and the heat went beyond discomfort. The Force swirled anxiously around them.

They totaled twenty, now. Four Knights from Luke Skywalker's academy, who followed Kylo that fateful night out of a mixture of fear, Dark, and a disenchantment with the Jedi teachings. These four had been with him for the longest time, but he trusted them the least. They had been born in Light, like him. They had been raised in Light, like him. And if Kylo had to scrape and claw his way into Darkness, surely it couldn't have been easy for them without Darth Vader's blood running through them, buoying them up when the Light tried to pull them down.

The other fifteen came from the Stormtrooper program. The most Force-sensitive men and women in the First Order military, raised in Darkness. Kylo did not trust them either, but not due to fear of the Light. No, these Knights would try to usurp power. How could they not? He would be worried about their capabilities if the thought _hadn't_ crossed their minds at some point.

"Today we gather in meditation to find the Jedi," Kylo instructed, and the Knights gave him their undivided attention. "I have spent many long hours here, reaching through the galaxy. I've felt their Light, concentrated somewhere out there. But the galaxy is vast, and though I can reach farther than anyone alive, it is not enough. By the time I feel them, I no longer know where I am. Together, I am confident our arm can find them. And then we can destroy the Jedi in their infancy."

Ideally, in the battle that would soon take place, many of his Knights would fall. In the perfect world, no Jedi would survive, and perhaps only Naz would remain of the Knights. Of course, there was an added bonus to this endeavor on Mustafar. Kylo would be able to peer into the collective subconscious of his Knights.

Meditation was vastly different for the Dark Side than for the Light. Kylo remembered Luke Skywalker's teachings of finding peace, and seeking center. In the serenity that followed, the Force could speak and enlighten.

The Sith figured out long ago that waiting on the Force to speak was a waste of time and energy. By reaching deep into the pain and anger and hate within, the properly trained Knight could will the Force to do their bidding.

So, together, the Knights dug into their souls and ripped and tore. The anguish in the room was palpable as the Force screamed through the chamber, desperate for release and direction. And they reached, up and into the galaxy, spreading like an endless noxious gas.

Kylo took the moment to study his myrmidons' pain, their hate, and their ambition. In a room of twenty united in purpose, it was impossible to detect who each feeling came from. But it was _all_ there. Everything Kylo suspected and feared and hoped.

Within his ranks he found deep loyalty. Gratitude to him for pulling them out of the squalor of their past and showing them the ways of the Force. He found utter devotion to their cause, to rule the galaxy under a rigid Order, and at the head of that Order was the Supreme Leader.

He found treasonous aspiration in his Knights, too. Suspicions flowed freely of Snoke's death, and Kylo's convenient rise to power afterwards. If Kylo could destroy his master and take his position and power, why could the Knights not destroy _their_ Master?

He found hints of Light, creeping its way into the Dark that surrounded them. It was faint, but it was present.

He found fear. Fear of their Master. Fear of the Scavenger who had defeated him twice in battle and allegedly took out the entire Throne Room of guards after dispatching Snoke and disabling Kylo.

And now, they searched for that Scavenger.

Kylo knew she was powerful. Perhaps more powerful than anyone in the galaxy but him. Were he not wounded in their first battle, he'd have won easily. If he hadn't wanted her to join him in their second encounter, he'd have destroyed her easily then, too.

But she refused, and so she was worthless to him. A pity, all that wasted power. She could have served him well. He may have even considered letting her serve alongside him. Though his concern for such things was not high, she was clearly a beautiful girl. And the heirs she would have provided him would have been unmatched. The Darkness that rose, and the Light to meet it would have joined to make a power the galaxy had never known.

Instead, she chose a dying Resistance. A simple Stormtrooper, a traitor. He had seen it in her eyes when he revealed the truth to her. "You come from nothing," he'd said. "You're nobody. But not to me."

She didn't see how powerful she was, and what that meant. Instead, he saw in her eyes a disbelief in his words. She thought of her precious traitor in that moment, so Kylo's words meant little. Despite how true they were.

She is nobody, and yet, she was the first thing his Knights find after hours of searching. She was a beacon of Light, and she must have had a fellow Jedi with her, given the powerful Light beside her. There may have been a third, though it was significantly dimmer than the other two. The Knights' power seeped over the rest of the planet, searching for the other Jedi, but came up empty. There were a few weak Force signatures there, but it was clear the Scavenger was away on a mission of some sort.

So they left the planet, and continued looking. It was more important to find all of the Jedi than just the Scavenger and an apprentice. Kylo ceased his exploration of his Knights' mind, and join in the hunt. They'd already been here for hours, and his Knights were weakening. But in their weakness and pain, they found extra power. They went further and further into the galaxy, latching onto any Light and moving on when that Light revealed nothing.

Hours more passed. And just when Kylo considered taking a break and resuming the search when his Knights had recovered, they found it. Dozens of Light signatures, huddled close together in the Southern Reaches. Leia Organa among them.

"There," Kylo whispered, and the Knights focused in, pinpointing the planet's location, getting flashes of visions of the Jedi Academy.

Worn out, tired, but renewed spiritually, the Knights emerged from their trance and looked to their Master. He looked back, observing the sweat on their pale faces, blood drained from exertion.

"To your ships. It is time for the Jedi to end."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Genuine question for you. Don't worry about answering if you don't have an opinion. I'm just really curious how people feel about this. This chapter is all in Kylo's head as chapter two was. And while he does share some thoughts on our heroes, it may be disappointing to some readers that the new chapter didn't further the heroes' story much.
> 
> Now, this may not be all that pressing of a question given where the plot is going, but I have to ask if you would prefer longer chapters that take more time for me to write, but that include both villain and hero storylines, or if you're perfectly fine with quicker updates that may include only Kylo's storyline? 
> 
> I have a friend who literally skips long sections of the Game of Thrones books because he'd rather stick with one character all the way through and then go back and read another character's story. Is this a common feeling, or are y'all content with a chapter of Kylo before returning to our heroes?
> 
> Feel free to ignore the question, though I do love any comments. It's great for me to understand what people like and dislike in writing. Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Through the Raging Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like writing Finn. Just saying. I worried that TLJ might make me care less for his character. Turns out I love him even more. That's what I learned while writing this chapter.

 

"Rose, pull back your bombers," Poe said into his comm, eyeing Finn with a hefty amount of reservation. Rey understood where Poe was coming from. Finn was the only known case of a Stormtrooper defecting under the First Order. That didn't mean there weren't other instances, but none had successfully escaped and went on to tell their story.

But Rey felt the resolution emanating off of Finn in waves. Finn and the Force was a fascinating puzzle which Rey had yet to figure out. Despite his inability to latch on to the Jedi training methods, there were moments where it was as clear as the skies of Jakku that the Force ran through him as powerfully as it did her. And now, Rey had never been so sure that the Force was guiding his thoughts and actions.

"Thanks Poe," Finn said softly. "And thanks for preaching patience on this plan." He shuddered. "We almost just killed thousands of them. All at once."

Poe frowned at him. "It was a good plan, Finn. They are the enemy, and this _is_ war. I'm going to need some assurance that reaching out to the Troopers isn't going to bite us in the ass."

Rey brought her hand up and rubbed Finn's back, feeling the tension there. He slumped forward, and his breathing grew labored. He'd told her once of his panic attack on Jakku. Triggered not by battle, but by the evil he witnessed and was moments from taking part in.

"Give us a minute," Rey whispered to Poe, whose eyes grew worried at the sight of Finn. He nodded, and Rey pulled Finn to his feet and exited the office. She glanced at the King and Queen on their way out and saw their look of absolute heartbreak at the state of their son.

Out in the hallway, Rey led Finn by the arm and sat him down on a bench and knelt before him. The hallway was unsurprisingly void of warmth and life. The floors were a cold gray, the ceilings a similar iron color. No artwork lined the walls, and no potted plant-life added color to the dreary world around them. Even the bench Finn sat on was hard, angled, and devoid of any personality.  The same paneled lighting from the conference room lining the walls left a hunger in Rey for something _real_. So Rey grabbed Finn's hands in hers for what felt like the fiftieth time that day, which still wasn't enough, and willed him to look up at her. "Breathe, Finn," she whispered. "It's okay. Breathe for me."

He took deep breaths, alternating between gripping her hands desperately and letting them go limp. His palms were clammy and his fingers were cold against her. "Sorry," he managed to say between breaths.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Rey assured him, shaking her head. She wished so badly she could take this anxiety from him—Finn didn't deserve this. He deserved happiness and health and a tropical planet all his own that he could go to relax. Maybe he'd invite her, and they'd just lay in the warm sun together and forget about the galaxy and its horrors. "Just take your time and breathe."

"Yeah," he gasped, nodding frantically. "Breathe."

And he did, for several long moments, he breathed in through his nose and slowly out his mouth, trying desperately to regulate his breathing. And eventually, he grew calm and the temperature in his hands returned to the warm touch she so often craved.

After calming himself, he sat straight and looked Rey in the eyes and cradled her face with one of his hands, her own hand still clasped behind it. He rubbed her cheek softly with his thumb. "Thank you, Rey. Again."

Rey leaned into the touch, even turning her head so she could give a nearly imperceptible kiss to his open palm. She wanted to stay like this, but Finn's eyes had started to roam her face, and she couldn't have him looking at her like that or she'd start looking at him like that, too. And now was not the time for these thoughts or these conversations.

A small voice in the back of Rey's mind wondered if there would ever be a time. Her response was it was irrelevant, because now was not the time. Finn was clearly dealing with things much bigger than her. So she stood up and let his hand fall from her face.

She kept her other hand in his and sat down next to him, leaning against him so their sides were touching from her foot to her shoulder. She wanted him to feel her presence, and she wanted to feel his, too. The warmth of his thigh against her caused a pleasant constriction in her chest. She hoped he felt the same. "Anytime, Finn. What are you thinking about?"

He took another deep breath, as if nervous this conversation would set him off again. "All those Stormtroopers, Rey. They're just like me. They had no choice in any of this. And I've killed dozens of them over the last three years. Without me, Starkiller wouldn't have blown, and hundreds of thousands of them were on that planet. I just made a plan to wipe out thousands more without a second thought. But they had no choice in this war. And so they had no choice in their deaths."

Rey nodded and leaned more heavily into him. He pressed back against her and gripped her hand more fully, interlocking their fingers. "There's no answer here, Finn. If Starkiller hadn't gone, billions more with no choice would have had died. If you hadn't fought back and killed the enemy troopers, you'd be dead. And countless Resistance would have died."

Finn nodded. He knew. She knew he knew all of this. Sometimes that doesn't change what one feels. "The worst part of it is that I haven't even thought twice about it since I first escaped. With Poe on the Finalizer I did my best just to hit guns, ships, and the officer bay. Since then, I haven't thought about sparing these soldiers taken as children. These... _slaves_."

She squeezed his hand. She suspected he never thought about it because the alternative was breaking down in the middle of battle. It was far too much for someone to process in a therapy session, much less the heat of war.

Poe chose this moment to exit the office and join the pair on the bench in the hallway, BB-8 at his heels beeping worriedly. Poe's face was a picture of concern, though Rey sensed the impatience of uncertainty in him as well. "Hey buddy," he said softly. "How you doing?"

"Better, thanks," Finn said with a brave smile. "I...look, I can't guarantee I can turn even one Trooper. But I've got to give them a choice. You can have the bombers ready overhead if I fail."

"I am not blowing up the base with you inside," Poe said matter-of-factly.

Finn nodded with a grin. "No, especially because I need BB-8 to come with me."

"And me," Rey said confidently over BB-8's anxious beeps.

"Rey," Finn started, voice low and dangerous. "I may be important to the Resistance, but you are vital to the galaxy. This is no—"

"First of all," Rey interrupted, more than a little angry at Finn's degradation of his value. "You are just as important to the galaxy as I am." Finn looked like he wanted to argue, but Rey pressed on. "Second of all, this is the right call."

Poe's head swiveled to her so quickly Rey thought she might have heard his neck crack. She'd have laughed if not for the serious situation. "Rey," he said slowly, clearly picking his words carefully. "You and Leia have been very clear in the past about not getting involved in the decision-making of the war since you started the Academy."

Rey nodded. "We don't want to make the same mistake as the Jedi of old in letting our political standing affect our connection with the Force."

"So what's different now?" Finn voiced Poe's question. "What do you sense?"

Rey shook her head. "My confidence has nothing to do with the war. This is about you, Finn. Don't you feel it? The call?"

Finn frowned and Poe swiveled his head right back to Finn. BB-8 mimicked his action. Finn was contemplative. "I don't know what the call feels like," he said softly. "And you know I have no idea what the Force feels like. But this does feel important." He nodded at his own words. "It feels like something I _have_ to do."

Rey smiled. "Keep this feeling tucked somewhere safe, Finn. Remember it the next time we talk about how the Force feels. It's calling to you."

And as if It heard her talking about It, a wave of Darkness spread over her in an instant. They were being watched. A score of Knights were here. Rey stood sharply and looked down the hallway and ignited her saber-staff, almost expecting to see Kylo Ren again, as she did three years ago.

But she didn't see him. She had closed that connection for good. But he was watching. Somehow, with his Knights, he had found her.

But then they moved on, almost disinterested. She deactivated her weapon, wondering why they had passed her by. They knew she was here. But if they hadn't been looking for her, then...

"Rey?" Finn's voice gently brought her back. He had stood and was holding her arms tightly. "Is it him?"

For months, Rey had kept her secret from everyone. That she had fallen for the dirty manipulations of Snoke and Kylo Ren. And make no mistake, they were every bit the former Solo's manipulations. He had seized an opportunity to use her to take down Snoke. Despite his words, Rey knew she was nothing more than a tool to him.

Finn had finally coaxed her shame out of her when she broke down during her first lesson to the first recruits of her new Academy. She felt unworthy in name and in ability. Finn—there to support her even though he'd had his own frustrations with trying to learn the ways of the Force—pulled her aside much as she had done for him just now.

She was no longer ashamed of her failure with Kylo Ren. She had been naive, and far too trusting in her attempt to match the bravery of the Luke Skywalker of old, throwing his weapon away to reach his father. She knew now that being a Jedi meant more than hope and trust. It included proper meditation and understanding before entering a situation. And when the time came to seal Darkness away, that was a Jedi's duty, too.

"It's him," Rey whispered back. "But he wasn't looking for me."

Finn's eyes widened. "Rey," he started, and she nodded frantically.

"Finn, I want to be here for you." Her voice shook with frustration. Why did this always happen to them?

Finn put on a smile. And Rey believed it. "You have been. And I want to be there for you now."

"You always are," Rey told him. "Even if my call takes me away."

Finn let out a snort. "I'm only now starting to get what that means. I'm just glad our destinies happen to cross paths a fair amount."

"As soon as I know they're safe, I'll come back," Rey said, and Finn shook his head.

"Not if I come find you first."

She grinned and embraced him. "Good luck, Finn. May the Force be with you."

"Apparently It is," Finn chuckled into her ear, his arms wrapping around her like a warm blanket on a cold night. "Tell Leia hi for me."

They pulled back, and Rey nodded at Poe, flabbergasted by the strange events that just unfolded before him. She took off down the hall, opening her comm to Chewie to tell him to stop the refuel early. They had places to be. With one more glance down the hallway at Finn, Rey's heart clenched. One day, they might be able to stay together. One day, she might let herself stay with him. One day.

 

 

"What the fuck just happened?" Poe asked Finn, whose back was turned to him as he watched Rey disappear once again. This time felt different though. This time, she wasn't making an excuse to go. She wanted to stay. He smiled after her and tried to feel her in the Force, as she'd tried to teach him to do so many times.

He still couldn't do it. But his smile remained, because something was different this time around. He hadn't felt this _awake_ since he couldn't fire on the villagers at Tuanul.

"Finn!" Poe shouted, grabbing Finn by the shoulder and turning him around. "What was that all about?"

"The Knights of Ren somehow found Rey."

"They're here?" Poe asked, hand moving to his blaster instinctively.

"Nah," Finn said with a shake of his head and a raised hand. "She felt them in the Force, across the galaxy."

Poe's eyebrows knit together in consternation. "So they know we've taken the planet?"

"They weren't looking for her," Finn clarified. "They were looking for the Jedi Academy."

Poe's eyes lit with recognition. "So she's off to warn the others."

Finn turned back to the doorway she had gone through, his smile returning. "I'm betting Leia will feel it, too."

"Did you feel it, too, Finn? How do you know all this?"

"You know I don't feel the Force like them," Finn said dismissively. "I just...I don't know. I just understand it, you know? Maybe from all the time I spend over at the Academy training to fight with them. And I know Rey, too."

Poe looked at him skeptically. "You sure know how to put two and two together without being given two and two, Finn." Finn didn't know how to respond to that, so he waited for Poe to move on. "You gonna be able to do this without her?"

Finn nodded, more certain than ever. "It would've been nice having her by my side. But this is my job. No one else knows what it's like in that armor."

Poe smiled at him. "Alright, Finn. Help me develop a backup plan. Not because I don't trust you, truly. But because I'd be a shitty general if I didn't have a backup plan."

Finn followed Poe back into the office, smiling widely at its occupants, especially the King and Queen. He realized what a great weight had been lifted off of him. He didn't know he'd been carrying this unspoken guilt for the Troopers. And now that he had a chance to help them—slim as it may be—he felt light on his feet and clear in his mind. His purpose had replaced all of the negative feelings that Rey had just helped him through.

He sat down as Poe pulled up the schematics of the base and got back to work.

 

When the plan was in place, Finn pulled his...his parents aside. There was always a chance he wouldn't be returning from this mission. But beyond the urgency of the situation, recent events had given Finn a new understanding of who he was.

"So, my name was Samuel?" he asked his mother, who gave him a sad but sweet smile. Her eyes filled with unshed tears. Those eyes were his own, like looking in a mirror. She was not much shorter than Finn, himself. Though, she had such great posture, and that probably made her seem taller than she was. She kept her chin lifted, not to the point of condescension, but Finn understood just by looking at her that she was a leader of great confidence and strength.

"Forgive me for blurting it out earlier," she said, truly apologetic but exuding that strength through her tears. "We've been keeping you in our prayers for twenty-five years. And when we heard rumors of a trooper who defected, we dared to hope. And then we saw an image of you. You've grown up so much since you were taken before your second birthday, son. But we knew it was you. I've been calling 'Finn, the Resistance hero' Samuel for so long now, it just came out."

Finn felt his eyes prickle at the love in his mother's voice. They never stopped believing, and hoping. How many more parents were out there, praying for their abducted children?

The records indicated that many of the abductions came after a battle, when the parents were killed while protecting their homes and families. But there were countless others that came during occupation, like on Lenspero.

"There's nothing to forgive," Finn assured her. Then he let the word dance on his tongue for a moment before speaking it. A word he remembered whispering on the darkest nights, when no commanding officer could help with the anxiety in his heart over a poor training exercise. When even Slip couldn't understand and support him as he looked at the Troopers around him and wondered why he was the only one who seemed to be questioning this life they led. The word that he dared to dream about, and gave him some semblance of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. "Mother."

She let out a strangled sob and threw herself into Finn's arms once more. In their previous hug, Finn had been far too shocked to be truly in the moment, to recognize that this woman was his mother. She had cared for him. And even when he was taken from her, she had loved him.

An unconditional love.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, swaying gently and basking in the moment. And suddenly he was back in his bunk of Starkiller, eyes closed and dreaming of a family he thought he'd never know. And now he knew them. He blinked hard, and a pair of tears fell down his cheeks.

When they pulled apart, Finn turned to his father. The man had Finn's nose and ears, though his face was narrower. He was just taller than Finn, and had a commanding presence. His parents truly were as kingly as their titles demanded.

"Son," the King said, causing a warmth to rush through Finn's entire body. "We cannot begin to express how proud of you we are. In all our wildest dreams of seeing you again, we never could have imagined the man you've become despite what you've been through."

Finn smiled widely at the praise and clapped his father on the shoulder. "I must have good blood, then," he said, and the words gave him pause. His blood. He nodded to himself, knowing now what he would say to the Stormtroopers in just a short time. Perhaps he could get through to them, and give them the opportunity he just took.

Finn's chest constricted when his thoughts returned to the Troopers. So odd, that in this moment of reunion with his family, his thoughts continuously drifted elsewhere.  He now accepted that his parents were the King and Queen of Lenspero. That they loved him, and he was undoubtedly considered their family. And this gave Finn a greater sense of himself.

But he was also surprised at how little it changed who he was. Finn wasn't Samuel Spero, Prince of Lenspero. Finn wasn't destined to take the throne and live out his days guiding his people in peace and prosperity. No, Finn was a former Stormtrooper. He was a defector. He was the man who found the next Jedi and brought her into the fight. He might have more family now, but his family was still Rey. Was still Poe, and Rose, and Leia. Was still the Resistance. He was the Hero of Starkiller, Rebel Scum, and Resistance Leader.

And today, he hoped to add two new titles unrelated to his royal blood. Liberator of Lenspero.

Emancipator of Stormtroopers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things: I just LOVE this back and forth of Finn and Rey's relationship. I'd call it a tug of war, but that implies...you know...war. And theirs is really a relationship of two individuals with two different goals that each currently overrule their desire to be together. I wish they'd had more than a hug and mutual longing throughout TLJ, but it played into this star-crossed theme where they both want to be with the other, but one wants (or needs) to go, and one wants (or needs) to stay, and they love and respect each other too much to put their own desires and purposes above the other person's. This keeps pulling them apart. But not to worry, because they always come back for each other. I love it, and wanted to keep it going in my episode 9.
> 
> Second, it was fun writing Finn with his parents. I don't know if I did it justice, but it felt right that it would be this momentous event for Finn that ultimately didn't change who he was, so much as reinforce and confirm it.


	6. Home Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped to get this up for Finnrey Friday. I'm really sad the timing didn't work out. But here it is anyway. A day late!

Ago-Bredah had been home to the new Jedi Academy for nearly two years. The northern side of the planet appeared yellow from orbit, though for very different reasons than Jakku. The entire planet was covered in an enormous network of trees, the Ago-Bredah Aspens, linked together by their roots. For the next two standard months, the leaves would be yellow, orange, and red, before winter settled and the leaves fell. Meanwhile the southern hemisphere would turn a vibrant green.

During the winter months, the thinned out trees would reveal a beautiful network of streams and rivers below. In the summer, the leaves were too thick to see any water from space. When Rey first laid eyes on the planet, she shuddered at memories of Jakku because of the yellow. Only once Finn had squeezed her hand reassuringly did she agree to go down to the planet and investigate more closely. And she found life like she'd never seen or felt before.

They found an old Jedi Temple there. It didn't have nearly the history of Ahch-To, but it was clear to Rey the moment she stepped foot on the planet that the Force was strong and tenured here.

"This is it, isn't it?" Finn had asked her quietly after walking through the old, musty, but holy temple with her. "This is where you're going to teach them."

"You can feel it, too?" She asked him excitedly. At the time, she was convinced that he would be a Jedi like her, with just a little guidance.

His answer had both flattered her and frustrated her. "I don't feel anything. But I know you. I can see it in your eyes. This is the right place to bring your students." She blushed that he could read her so well, but huffed at his inability to feel what she felt. She _knew_ she felt the Force in him, and it aggravated her to no end that he couldn't sense it or use it himself. She wasn't upset with Finn, of course. Just the Force and its mysterious ways.

Rey shook the memory and directed the Falcon down to the Academy she had built with Leia. She'd been thinking of Finn for the entirety of her trip, surely she could focus now that she'd arrived. She anxiously reached out in the Force to make sure the Knights hadn't beat her here, and that Leia had evacuated the Jedi learners already.

To her relief, she felt nothing on the planet beyond the beautiful peace of the Temple, and the Darkness of the Ago-Bredah Peak, where the Jedi made their annual pilgrimage to confront their inner Darkness.

Rey's most recent trip went the same as the last three. The cave of mirrors on Ach-To had revealed her own nothingness. The Peak of Ago-Bredah somehow left her feeling more isolated and alone than ever. There was no one there to confront or comfort but herself.

Shaking her head of the dreadful memories, Rey landed the Falcon in a clearing under the massive Ago-Bredah Aspen foliage and grabbed her saber-staff and a blaster. Chewy was gearing up in the lobby. He looked up from his bag of explosives. He quirked his head and growled. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. Unable to put into words what she was feeling, she merely helped him pack the bag.

Like Finn, Chewy was always coming and going from Ago-Bredah. They would work together on the Falcon, plan what modifications they wanted, and Chewy would head off to gather more parts. It was clear he had passed his loyalty from Han to Rey, for some reason Rey still couldn't determine. But when Rey's attention would turn exclusively to her students for weeks and months at a time, Chewy would rejoin the Resistance to see how he could help. Whenever he returned, it was clear he had spent much of his time with Finn, recounting stories of his heroics and antics. Chewy knew how Rey felt about him, it seemed.

When they finished packing up, Chewy put a comforting hand on Rey's shoulder. "Are you going to be able to go through with the plan?"

Rey nodded quietly, though her heart was as heavy as the bag of explosives. "Yes. Let's just get it over with."

They exited the Falcon and walked through the small village that they had built with their young Jedi Academy. Dozens of huts were scattered all around. They were humble abodes, not much different from the hut Luke lived in on Ahch-To. On a planet of trees, however, it was much easier to make these huts of wood rather than stone. They were simple, but they warmed Rey's heart looking all around her.

There was no organization or pattern to the small homes. Initially, there were only a few Jedi recruits. But over the years, more and more huts needed to be built. They had just widened the clearing and put in more huts where necessary. It was haphazard and not the most practical or beautiful, but Rey thought it represented the young Jedi Order. They were learning and growing, and one day they might know what they were doing. For now, it worked, and it was endearing in a way.

Leia had ordered an evacuation hours ago, and it seemed the Jedi were good at following orders. The homes were all deserted, signs of a hasty retreat all around them. Rey glanced at each small hut individually, hoping that everyone managed to pack the most important of their personal belongings. After the Knights of Ren arrived, Rey doubted there would be anything left to salvage.

Rey wondered idly if there was anything in her own hut that she needed to grab. Rey wasn't one for mementos. She had no holos of family. She had no heirloom she needed to keep safe for the next generation.

She halted briefly at her hut, glancing at the guest hut next door. She wouldn't tell anyone this, but she had purposely asked for the guest quarters to be built next to hers so that Finn would be close when he visited. It was then she remembered the one thing she needed to grab.

She hurried into her hut, and walked over to her nightstand. In the top drawer, she found a doll. A fighter pilot doll she had made on Jakku. She turned the crude play-thing over in her hands, reflecting on the quiet moment she had told Finn about this doll. It was over two years ago now, and he'd somehow gotten her to open up about the vast loneliness of her time on Jakku. Finn had a way of doing that, getting her to talk about things she didn't realize she needed to get of her chest.

She didn't know how old she was when she made the doll. It was within her first few years of living on Jakku, certainly. But she did remember the way Finn squeezed her hand as she told him that the doll was her best friend, that they'd go on adventures together. She'd found an old rebel pilot helmet with the inscription "Raeh" on it, and named her doll after this hero of the past. When she was scared of a new scavenging yard, Raeh would always be there with her. When she got cold at nights, she had Raeh. It was oddly emboldening to share a name with her best friend. When she didn't have her doll with her and she got scared, she could tell herself that Raeh may not be here, but Rey was. And Rey was enough.

Finn had pulled her into a tight hug at her story, and Rey saw a tear roll down his cheek. She hadn't wanted to make him sad or pity her. But once she was in his arms, she knew it wasn't about pity. It was compassion—a trait that Finn himself had taught her existed in other human beings on occasion.

Four months later, after Finn had been away for a while on a mission, he had come to stay with the Jedi again. He liked to train with Rey in battle, knowing it was only a matter of time until he faced off against a Knight of Ren, or Kylo himself. He wanted to be prepared to face a Force user in battle. Rey was happy to oblige, finding spars with Finn as enjoyable as any training she did. He also became her toughest opponent.

The first night he was back, Rey had a nightmare. They were not uncommon. She had a lot of life experiences to prompt bad dreams. She startled awake from the image of her parents leaving her, a terrified child, to fend for herself on a planet of selfish and monstrous creatures. Rey took sharp and frightened breaths, her skin covered in cold sweat.

Finn rushed into her room, then, fear in his eyes. "Rey! Are you okay?"

She must have screamed to alert him, though she didn't remember doing so. "Finn!" she sobbed through tired and scared tears. "They just left me. They just..." He rushed to her bedside, dropped to his knees, and clutched at her hand frantically. He brought her hand to his lips and whispered soft and soothing words to her.

"You're going to be okay, Rey. It was only a bad dream. I'm here. I'm here."

The fear and pain faded away almost instantly. It was replaced by that sweet feeling that only Finn could give her. Without thinking, Rey pulled at Finn's arm and scooted over in her bed. "Will you...?"

Briefly wide-eyed at her invitation, Finn quickly nodded and slipped into her small bed beside her. She turned and he pulled her to his chest, wrapping a protective arm around her middle. Rey latched onto his forearm tightly, prompting Finn to whisper one last time into her ear. "I'm here."

Feeling the warmth of his chest to her back, the security of his arm around her waist, Rey slipped into a peaceful slumber almost immediately.

The next morning, she awoke to him quietly trying to extricate himself from her. She grabbed his arm as he pulled away. "Finn?"

He leaned back in to her and whispered softly into her ear. "I'll be right back, Rey. I want to grab something for you."

Her bed was still warm where he'd slept, and she rolled over to feel that warmth. With a deep breath, she found his scent to be in her matress, and she hoped desperately that woodsy and fiery scent would remain for weeks to come. She wouldn't let herself think about why she'd just had the best night's sleep of her life, but rather just enjoy that she had.  He returned to her hut just moments later and smiled softly at her. Rey smiled back before she saw what he was holding in his hands. Her doll Raeh. She sat up immediately, mouth wide open. Finn smiled at her more widely and sat on the bed next to her, gently holding her old doll out for her to take.

"How did you..." Rey started as she took her old friend from her new friend with shaking hands.

"Your AT-AT home had been scavenged," Finn said, as if he didn't need to explain how or why he went back to Jakku. It was at least a two-day trip from Ago-Bredah, so he had retrieved Raeh sometime before this visit. He gave her a small smile. "But I guess they didn't think this doll was worth taking. I think it's priceless."

"Oh, Finn!" She cried, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I always want to be here for you, Rey. But...things haven't exactly worked out that way. Now, even when I'm not here, you'll have someone." He pulled back from the embrace, and looked at the doll for a moment. He purposely pushed the doll downwards and cupped Rey's face in his warm hand. "But you always need to remember that _Rey_ is enough. You are more than enough."

Rey shook her head of the memory, clutching the doll to her now. She exited her home of the past two years. But no, it wasn't her home. With Raeh gripped tightly in her hand, Rey knew what her home truly was. Or rather, who it was.

She saw Chewy up ahead, walking up the stairs to the Jedi Temple with his bag in hand. The Temple rested on a moderate-sized ziggurat, built thousands of years earlier. Mostly stone, the platform lifted the temple above the trees. Rey actually didn't love the symbolism, as she believed it was the very trees that fueled the Force on this planet. So why should the Temple be above them?

Even so, she couldn't deny the beauty and peace she found within the sacred building, and she followed Chewy to the stairs leading to it.

Like most of the older temples, the Ago-Bredah Jedi Temple was simple. It was a single room, filled with cushioned benches for instruction, meditation, and worship. In the center sat a stone altar. Rey had searched many of the old Jedi texts to find the purpose of the altar, and had come up empty so far. In the middle of a war, Rey didn't have as much time to devote to study as she'd like. That, and the texts were rather dry, full of old language that she either had to find translations to or struggle to understand. When C-3PO translated for her, the words seemed to lose their meaning. No, she needed to read them for herself.

Still, Rey wandered over to the object of unknown purpose and sighed. They'd been using the altar as a bookshelf for the ancient Jedi texts. And Leia had not deemed them important enough to save in the evacuation. Rey shook her head and couldn't keep the smile from her face. Leia had spent much of the last two years mocking the texts and the Jedi of old, claiming that they didn't need them to train a new generation of Jedi.

Rey would counter with, "Well, then we wouldn't be Jedi, would we?" The fact of the matter is that Rey and Leia were just doing their best, with the occasional visit from Luke's humbled image to guide them along. But despite his sacrifice for the Resistance, he still didn't feel adequate to truly teach Rey. It was frustrating, but Rey had long given up any hope of a helpful mentor. She and Leia would have to figure it out from experience and what Rey could make of these texts.

 She lazily dragged her fingers along the stone altar and let her eyes drift around the temple room. The candles that nearly perpetually burned had been snuffed out, so the only light in the room filtered in through the partially opaque windows that didn't quite fit the aesthetic of the surrounding ancient stone. Memories streamed through Rey's mind: young padawans struggling to stay reverent in their meditation, older padawans trying not to laugh, and Finn—having given up on mediation half an hour earlier—doing his best to encourage all of this behavior.

Rey smiled, and continued her walk through the temple room, reaching out to the Force for guidance. The Force was gentle here, unobtrusive despite being ever-present. She had learned many valuable lessons in mediation here. Not voices from the beyond, instructing her with words. But simple truths stored within her, released upon her reflection of the galaxy and her place in it. The Force hadn't given her answers so much as generated an environment for her to realize she already had the answers.

Rey sighed, saddened by the necessary departure from the Temple. It would likely be the last time she could step foot here until the First Order was defeated and Kylo Ren removed from the galaxy, one way or another. He would keep an eye on this place—perhaps even corrupt it. Rey knew she'd have to rebuild this temple when he was done with it.

She looked over at Chewy as he came closer to her, his bag now empty. "We should probably go," Rey said wistfully, and she reached for the bag for use to carry Raeh and the holy books. She knew time was running short, but couldn't help dragging her feet. Leaving this planet was leaving the first place she'd settled down in since Jakku.

Chewy turned to her and repeated his earlier question concernedly. "Are you going to be okay?" Through a sad smile, Rey nodded. She walked back over to the altar and began loading the bag.

"I've called this place home for two years. But it's not my home. Home isn't a place, no matter how many memories it holds. It's the people you share those memories with. That's home."

Chewy nodded, and reached out to carry the bag for her. "We should get moving, then, and rejoin that home." Rey didn't bother correcting his assumption that her home was the Jedi Order. Because it was. Chewy didn't need to know that her home wouldn't be complete without Finn, though.

Or maybe he already suspected. Chewy always seemed to know what she was thinking. Rey supposed she wasn't too hard to read.

They moved back to the Falcon, and Rey only let her eyes dwell on the village for a brief moment. They headed up the ramp and into the cockpit. As she lifted off the ground, Rey gave one last look at the Temple. A sense of calm washed through her. She had made the right decision.

Rey rose high in the atmosphere and left the gravitational pull of the planet. "You have the coordinates to Leia?" Rey asked. At Chewy's confirmation, she continued. "Find us a Hyperspace route, and we'll be on our w—"

The calm that had swept through her vanished entirely. It was replaced with a sense of dread. A familiar dread. "Chewy, he's here!" Rey said. "Are you ready?"

Chewy growled out, "I need more time," and the ship shook under fire. Rey swerved the Falcon, checking her monitors for the assailing ship's location. It was not Kylo's typical Tie Silencer. He was in a two-person ship. She sensed a second presence with him; Kylo was not piloting.

"Redirect power to rear deflector shields," Rey said, but she knew the shields wouldn't last under this barrage. Without a bigger crew, they couldn't fire back to dissuade Kylo from following so close, either.

She watched the shield power drop as she did her best to avoid the fire. But Kylo and his Knight were too good in this aerial fight. No matter what maneuver she attempted, they countered and Kylo kept the constant fire.

She took a deep breath. "Activate the Field Distortion Barrier."

Chewy looked over at her hesitantly. "It wouldn't do much good against a Force-user as strong as Kylo."

"I know," Rey said, dread and acceptance streaming through her veins. "Unless I distract him."

She nodded at Chewy, and he reached up to flip the toggle. And she opened communication with Kylo Ren for the first time since Crait.

"You're just going to kill me?" she asked him, satisfied by the shock that appeared on his face at her appearance in the Force. He momentarily ceased his fire on the Falcon to study her.

He recovered quickly, narrowing his eyes. "You made your choice, as miserable a choice as it was."

He reopened fire on her, but the bursts of plasma hurtling through space missed the Falcon, one after the next. She saw the frustration on his face. He didn't understand how the Falcon was avoiding the fire it had been taking just moments before. He had no idea the ship was projecting a distortion barrier that made the ship appear far to the left of where it actually was.

And she needed to keep it that way. "I know there is still Light in you, Ben," she said, trying her damndest to say the words like she believed them. Like she could ever believe that again. Rey had never been a good liar. But for a few moments, maybe she could pull it off.

"Then you are more foolish than I thought," Kylo sneered, leaning heavily on his trigger yoke, as if he could will the plasma to start hitting the ship again.

"Then why have you stopped hitting me?" Rey asked, trying to keep her voice hopeful instead of mocking.

"I will destroy you, Scavenger!" Kylo shouted.

Chewy nodded at Rey. They were ready. "Not today, Supreme Leader," she said tauntingly, and the Falcon burst into hyperspace.

She severed the connection, hoping never again to be connected to that monster's mind. In hyperspace, Chewy regarded her carefully. "Do you really believe there is still Light in Kylo Ren?" he asked, his growls quiet and almost sad.

Rey couldn't help the scoff that left her lips. "That man buried his Light so deep in Darkness that there's no recovering it. And if it is recoverable, I'm sure as hell not going to put any energy into trying. He's had his chances."

Chewy nodded. "He is not the same person that I babysat twenty-five years ago. And I haven't believed that person existed since that day on Starkiller."

Rey nodded solemnly. His words caused her stomach to churn in anxiety and shame. "I've never apologized to you, Chewy. For asking you to send me to Snoke's ship after Kylo. It must have felt like a punch to the gut, me trying to help the man who killed Han."

"Han died trying to save his son. I just thought you were honoring his memory. I thought you were stupid," he added with a head quirk. "But it was an honorable goal."

"There's no honor in naiveté and being manipulated, Chewy. But thank you."

"Well, you just did it to Kylo. So, lessons learned, right?"

Rey smiled, and a small bit of satisfaction filled her. And she felt a degree of closure at her mistakes in the past. "Let's go find Leia, shall we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was nervous about this chapter, but I'm really happy how it came out. I managed to get my favorite Finnrey moment of the story so far, despite them being separated, and gave Rey a bit of redemption (It's certainly debatable whether she actually needed redemption) with her Kylo interaction. Let me know what you thought!


	7. Of Seeds and Symbols

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made it in time this week! Happy Finnrey Friday!

The flight over to Sector 7 was tense. Poe asked every few minutes if Finn was sure about this, to which Finn responded with increasing certainty and annoyance. Truthfully, the closer Finn got to the base, the more at peace he was with the decision to face the Troopers and give them a choice. Their first ever choice.

"All I'm saying is that if we want to improve the plan, we can regroup tomo—"

"Poe," Finn said, unable and unwilling to keep the exasperation out of his voice. "I know what I'm going to say, and I don't know how more time will help us. The escape plan, if things go south, isn't great. I know that. But I also believe we won't need an escape plan."

Poe nodded from his pilot's seat of the imperial transport ship they "borrowed" from the First Order office where the Resistance was now stationed. Poe did not look over at Finn. He kept his eyes forward, endlessly nodding, as if trying to force himself to believe Finn's words. "I don't want to lose you, buddy. I know we've had our differences in this war over the last couple years, but there's no one I respect more in this fight. Except maybe General Organa."

Finn's annoyance disappeared in a moment. He knew Poe shouldn't be flying this shuttle to Sector 7. There were dozens of other pilots that could replace the highest-ranked leader in the Resistance. But Poe demanded he come to send Finn off. He joked that he just wanted to make sure his droid was safe, but Finn knew he was a key part of Poe's decision to come.

"Well, if I'm going to lose the prestigious title of most respected person, I guess Leia's a good one to lose to." Finn smiled at Poe and his gaze finally forced Poe to look over at him. "You won't lose me, Poe. We've got too many more things to blow up together before I go."

A slow smile crept to Poe's face. "That, and I will _not_ be the one to tell Rey you died, okay? That girl scares me, and I fear for the messenger who would deliver any bad news about you to her."

Finn felt himself flush. "Any bad news about anyone she cares about."

Poe smirked at him and quirked an eyebrow. "Come on, Finn."

"Come on, Poe," Finn rebutted, not so keen on this conversation.

"That girl is so head over heels for you that it might just kill her if you died. So don't do it, Finn. We need the Jedi more than ever."

"Rey has made it very clear that we are just friends." Though Finn couldn't help the phantom warmth on his thigh where her touch had lingered. The tingle in his fingers where her own had clenched tightly to him. The image of her beautiful eyes looking at him like _that_ forever engrained in his mind, quick to recall in any moment of freedom and reflection.

Poe merely scoffed, adding to the sense of futility in his denial. "Yeah, you guys are just friends like BB-8 is just my droid."

The small droid whirled happily between Finn and Poe, and though Finn's Binary still wasn't perfect, he well understood the laughter directed at him from the droid, and words to the effect of, "My programming has many words beyond 'friend' based on observed behavior between you and Rey."

"Can you patch me into the Resistance?" Finn asked, derailing the conversation as quickly as possible. He was grateful that it had broken the tension and anxiety in the cockpit, but he didn't care much for the direction of the discussion. If it could even be called that. "It's time to send the message."

BB-8 beeped his affirmation, and if droids could smirk, that was somehow what BB-8 did with the tilt of his domed head and lilt of his beeps.

"Lieutenant Connix," Finn said, clearing his throat and pressing past the embarrassment. More than embarrassment, though, Finn had to press past the hope that Poe and BB-8 were expressing the truth. Now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts—as seemed to be the pattern of the war at large. "Broadcast my message to the Sector 7. We're just about an hour out now."

"You got it, Finn," came the reply, and Finn watched his monitor display the order that was sent to Sector 7. It was rather simple. In order to group the First Order together at Sector 7, Finn had sent out a call according to protocol R49.2 back when his plan was to blow up the base.  This was a standard order that Finn had received over twice a year as a cadet. Many troopers were ecstatic when the protocol was issued because it meant hearing from one of their leaders. Finn had never enjoyed the grand speeches of course—they always felt fake and rehearsed to the point of losing all meaning. Given that tonight had been the meeting between all of the regional First Order officers at the palace, it shouldn't be surprising—expected even—to receive the call to group for a relay of information and orders.

 The second order, the one Finn currently read on his monitor, was likely less expected from the Stormtroopers on the planet Lenspero. He scanned the message calling for a massive sweep of all weapons. Weapon inspection was not uncommon, though it was usually a random check or prompted by a rogue Trooper's action (or in Finn's case three years earlier, inaction). Finn was careful to include an explanation in his order that there had been reports of unauthorized use of blasters on citizens and that the King and Queen were demanding the violence stop and the Troopers responsible be punished. "I'd rather we find the culprit(s) than deal with the headache of the Royalty complaining about it all day," he'd written to the captains.

His parents had laughed at his words, and told him they had indeed used the strategy of annoyance with success on more than one occasion with their occupying oppressors. Finn smiled at the memory of his parents laughing with him. If he removed the insane horror of the topic of their conversation, he suspected it was a moment a normal family would share together. Parents joking with their son about their annoying bosses at work. Instead, he was constructing a command to an enemy military state in an attempt to disarm them before he attempted to infiltrate their base.

And while it was risky issuing an order that may raise eyebrows among the remaining low-level leadership in the Stormtrooper ranks, it was a necessary risk. After all, Finn would soon be walking straight into the heart of the enemy territory, a lone man against thousands of Troopers. At the very least, they shouldn't _also_ have weapons to fire on him before he got to speak.

"You have the schematics?" Poe asked tersely.

"Yes, Poe," Finn responded tiredly while BB-8 beeped with annoyance.

"And you know the escape plan, if necessary?"

"Yes, Poe," Finn said, screwing his eyes shut to avoid glaring at his well-meaning friend. BB-8 beeped with more annoyance.

"And you really belie—"

BB-8 cursed loudly and with more profanity than Finn could ever remember hearing from the sweet, little droid. It stopped Poe in the middle of his last question.

"Alright," he sighed. "I'll see you when it's over, then?"

Finn smiled, his smile genial and representative of the inexplicable calm washing through him. "Yes, Poe."

Poe nodded with a week smile before Finn exited the imperial shuttle with BB-8 at his heels. The whole of the First Order military would be waiting in the Grand Hall for his visit. Finn entered on the opposite side of the base, instructing BB-8 to scan for any life forms that weren't where they were supposed to be.

Finn followed the blueprint of the base BB-8 had uploaded before the mission, turning down hallways, avoiding potentially populated areas, and weaving their way to the operations room of the Grand Hall.

Blaster at the ready, Finn opened the door to find a single, bored-looking First Order technician in charge of the audio and visual elements of the Hall. She sat at a control panel large enough for three operators. The room wasn't large, with only the door Finn entered and a second door that led directly into the Grand Hall. The First Order employee initially had her chin on her hand as she stared blankly at the monitors in front of her. She was young—about Finn's age. She wore her red hair back, standard procedure in the First Order. She had no weapon on her person, and Finn scanned the room quickly to confirm there was no weapon for her to use against him. She turned in her chair as the door Finn opened swung against the wall and immediately put her hands up at his raised blaster.

"Hi," Finn said uneasily. He was still dressed in the First Order officer clothing, and wondered if he had to come in with his blaster raised and threatening. "I'm Finn."

"He-hello?" she responded, eyes wide.

"So, I've got a message to broadcast to the Troopers out there." He nodded to the door leading to the Grand Hall. "So if you wouldn't mind BB-8 taking over for you?"

The woman shook her head confusedly and glanced down at the droid who beeped in the same apologetic tone Finn had been using. The small spherical figure rolled forward to a computer terminal and inserted his scomp link. Finn lowered his weapon as the woman looked on with increasing concern.

"Don't worry," Finn reassured her. She turned to him, and he gave her a weak smile. "My message is for you, too. And I hope you want to hear it."

And he was surprised to see a shadow of peace cross her face, and she visibly relaxed in her chair.

BB-8's head swiveled around with a nervous whirl, and he let Finn know, "I'm ready when you are."

Finn looked up at the monitor that revealed the Troopers in the next room over. They all stood at attention, staring at the stage, awaiting their leader and the speech prepared for them. Finn took a deep breath and tried his hardest to imagine the faces behind those masks. That is who he was talking to.

A measure of his anxiety vanished at the thought, an unexpected conviction taking its place.

He nodded to BB-8, who turned on his recorder. In the monitor, Finn saw a holo of himself projected in front of the thousands of Troopers gathered together. He was larger than life, and the soldiers all stood a little taller at the image of him broadcast before them. It felt wrong, somehow, but Finn pressed on.

"I was taken from my family when I was younger than two years old," Finn started, his voice somber but strong. "At five cycles, I remember playing games with the other kids. Of course, the games were early training simulations, and the other kids were other child soldiers taken from families they'd never know. We were given training blasters, and we were observed for competencies, evaluated for our future placements. At five cycles.

"At seven cycles, I was placed in the FN squad. I don't remember if I had a name before that. And it didn't matter. Whether I had a number yet or not, I knew that I was just one of hundreds of thousands or millions. As replaceable as a sensor in a droid. I served a small purpose in the greater machine."

Finn paused to look at the Troopers. They were growing restless, he could sense. There was much shifting from foot to foot, nervous glances at the comrade next to them. Good. Let them feel things.

"At ten cycles, I had an instruction period where we were shown holo-records of the capture of the planet Pendooine. I saw children my age in the records hiding from Stormtroopers. They were accompanied by two adults, and I figured these two adults were the instructors to the children like me. Or perhaps they were commanding officers.

"Then the older woman cradled the child in her arms as Stormtroopers approached. They demanded she release the child. She shielded the child from the Troopers until they fired on her for not obeying. And I realized this woman was no instructor or officer. This woman was something special to the child, and the child was someone special to her.

"In my eleventh cycle, I finally learned about the family unit. I suppose it is impossible to keep that information silent forever, even from the Stormtroopers. The first night after learning about mothers and fathers, I stayed awake all night wondering who my parents were. Where my parents were.

"Have you ever wondered?" Finn asked aloud. The anxiety in the room was palpable now. Finn glanced at the women in the room with him, and she stared at him with a mixture of wonder and terror.

"In my fifteenth cycle," Finn continued through a lump in his throat. "And in all of your fifteenth cycles, the First Order began extracting blood from us each month. Blood used for transfusion should we get injured in battle. Curiously, though my blood would work in many people, my blood was preserved for me specifically. Frozen until I might need it. Every single Trooper has gallons of their own blood stored and frozen for emergency use.

"I laughed to myself when I learned this. My whole life, I'd been told I was just a number. As replaceable as the next number. Yet I was so very different from Nines and Zeroes, and poor Slip. We are all so different—how can we all be so different if we're all the same, I would wonder. How can I be replaceable when there's no one else quite like me? And why are they saving my blood for _me_ , if the guy wearing the bucket next to me is a number just like I am?"

Finn turned his attention to the woman in front of him. She had tears in her eyes. "The truth is," he told her. "You aren't just another number."

The tears spilled from her eyes, and Finn knew he couldn't stay here and talk to the Troopers from relative safety. So he motioned to BB-8 to follow him, and he marched right out the door into the Grand Hall. A hushed murmur swept through the asssembly—a murmur that would have resulted in weeks of disciplinary action if it had happened before an actual First Order officer.

Finn stepped to the pulpit and let his eyes rove the Hall, taking in this army of individuals that had been told they were a collective their whole lives.

"My name is Finn," he said, voice amplified throughout the Grand Hall. "In my twenty-third cycle, I made a choice. I wasn't going to kill for them. I wasn't going to scare and intimidate for them. I wasn't going to clean my blaster and wear my bucket for them. I was going to do something for me.

"I ran. I found friends. I found family. I found purpose. And that purpose has led me back here in front of you. You can find purpose, too. You can make a choice, too. The blood that runs through your veins is yours. The choice you make today is yours. And if that choice is to stay with the First Order, then so be it. If you want to join me and free the galaxy, then welcome aboard. And if you want to discover where you were taken from and find your long lost family, then you can do that, too."

BB-8 projected the Project Resurrection files Finn had  found into the space between Finn and all the Troopers. Number after number scrolled in front of them, followed by a name of a planet, and of a family they'd never known.

Finn's heart hammered against his chest as he looked across the sea of white armor. He felt the indecision in the air. They hadn't rushed him, tearing him limb from limb without their blasters. Finn supposed that was a good sign. And these men and women had never made a choice for themselves in their whole lives. There was no doubt it would take them time to process the option he'd given them.

Something in Finn hummed. No, it positively sang. That feeling he'd had in Tuanul on Jakku, when he couldn't fire on the villagers. That feeling when he felt the suffering of the Hosnia System and knew he had to go back to Strakiller for Rey. That feeling when he understood at last his purpose in this galactic war. This feeling was the Force.

And in the far distance, seventeen rows back, nine Troopers in, a young man reached up and pulled his helmet off.

 

Kylo seethed.

He'd told himself he'd never lose it in front of his Knights, not since becoming Supreme Leader. But as Naz landed the ship near the Jedi Temple, it took everything in Kylo's power not to reach for his saber and destroy everything within sight.

The Scavenger got away, and it was his own hesitation and rage that that allowed for it. She knew exactly how to keep him distracted, and had used some sort of tech to distort the cursed Falcon's true location.

"You will tell no other Knights that the Scavenger got away."

"Of course, Supreme Leader," Naz replied, and Kylo felt his intent to obey. Exiting the fighter, Kylo looked up to the sky to see his other Knights arriving. He knew it was pointless. It was clear the Jedi had sensed the Knights of Ren when they'd searched the galaxy. Kylo had wondered if this would happen—there was simply too much power used _not_ to get noticed.

Fingers still twitching for his lighsaber, Kylo stepped towards the encampment and felt three distinct Force signatures calling out to him like whispers on the wind. He resisted the urge to heed the whispers and waited for his Knights to land. They emerged from their ships, lightsabers drawn and ready for a fight. It didn't take them long to recognize what Kylo knew. They were too late.

"Search the village and the Temple," Kylo ordered through his shallow breathing and constricted chest, his failures of the day gnawing at him. He stared out at the many huts, unable to look at his Knights. "Recover anything that might tell us who the Jedi are or where they might have gone."

His Knights dispersed, marching through the homes, four splitting off to the ziggurat stairs to search the Temple. Kylo waited a beat before going to the strongest, most familiar Force beacon. It was proud and defiant. It hummed with will, a determination rarely seen in the galaxy. And it was _Light_. On the exterior, the humble home was no different from the other crudely constructed huts. Kylo withheld a scoff when he thought how hard it would be for the former Princess—the war hero, the Senator, the General—to reduce herself to this hovel in the name of being like her students.

Kylo had been shocked when he'd learned from a prisoner of war that Leia Organa, war general, had given up her post to help rebuild the Jedi Order. Apparently she believed she could be most helpful to the galaxy by restoring the Jedi. Kylo wished he'd had his old mask to hide the way his eyes widened at this news. Of course, the prisoner was the only one who saw, and he killed her as soon as he'd drained her of all useful information.

Kylo entered the home of his mother and froze. Proud and large, taking up the majority of her far wall space, a holo-image took Kylo's breath away. Young Ben Solo bounced happily on his father's knee, a smile so big the child's face seemed in danger of splitting. Leia looked on at her family with absolute joy—never seeming so at peace in her life. And Han...when had Han ever had such a genuine smile, no trace of irony or snark?

Kylo pulled out his lightsaber and destroyed the holo-projector in an instant. He breathed a sigh of relief that he had been the first Knight to this home. Leia must have left it for him, either to torture him or to plant some seed of Light she ignorantly hoped could grow in him. Kylo growled; either way, she had failed miserably at both.

He searched the room for any indicators of where the Jedi had escaped. Instead, he found Han's old racing gloves. Leia's necklace that she wore to every single meeting with the senate. Ben Solo's old model Millennium Falcon that he'd built with his father and spent hours running around the back yard, making broken noises he'd heard on the real ship.

Kylo left them all in a contorted pile of melted material. He exited the hut and lit it aflame before proceeding to the second Force signature hanging in the air and calling out to him.

Unlike Leia, the Scavenger's Force remnants were not so clear and defined. Perhaps Kylo didn't know her as well as he thought. Maybe she hadn't let herself get attached to the home, leaving little of herself with it. Or maybe she'd just learned how to shield herself from him during their time linked in the Force.

Not wanting to dwell on that time, foregone or recent, Kylo pushed into the hut to find Naz already present. The room was almost barren, no signs of a specific resident. The chest of drawers was filled with clothes reminiscent of a desert scavenger, and the desk was cluttered with an old speeder engine, torn apart for curiosity more than repair. But if he didn't know the Scavenger himself, Kylo doubted he could have pieced together who lived in this empty hut. He certainly couldn't call it a home like Leia's had been.

Kylo felt anxious here in a very different way from how he felt in Leia Organa's home. There was something foreboding that made his skin crawl. "Burn it down," Kylo instructed evenly, despite his stomach churning and lungs not quite working properly. "We need to get off this planet as soo—"

He was interrupted by a sudden explosion and a great rumble. He and Naz rushed from the hut to see the Temple crumbling in on itself, clearly having been booby-trapped, probably by the Scavenger. Kylo felt four of his Knights' lives snuffed out in an instant.

Throwing all restraint out the window, Kylo gripped his lightsaber with a roar and the red blade emerged. Swing after heavy swing, he brought the Scavenger's hut down, flames igniting the wood framing and casting a warm glow on the Supreme Leader as the walls collapsed and the shack was no more than a pile of scarred wood and ash.

He breathed heavily for several long moments before retracting his blade. When he spoke again, his voice was measured. "The Light from this camp and the temple blinded us."

Naz was silent for a moment before confessing, "I wondered why my senses were diminished."

"Gather the remaining Knights and send them back to their previous assignments. I will need to meditate more on our next approach. Wait for me here until I return in our ship."

"Yes, Supreme Leader."

Kylo heard the question in his tone, though Naz didn't dare utter it. So he answered him mercifully.

"Whenever a planet is so dominated by Light," he said, finally turning to Naz, whose face spoke volumes of his humility and desire to learn. "There is always concentrated Darkness to balance the Force. That Darkness calls. I will demand it instruct me."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," Naz repeated, admiration now his tone.

 

The Falcon settled on a landing port on Bespin and Rey took in the beautiful sights of Cloud City. The clouds were a light orange pink in the early hours of daylight; the city stood proud and stark out of the clouds, but welcoming in its grandeur.

Rey stepped down the ramp behind Chewy, who was hugging a man Rey could only assume was the leader of this city. A man she'd heard so much about from Chewy and Leia.

"Lando Calrissian," the man confirmed for her and he stepped by Chewy and held out a hand. "You must be the beautiful Rey I've heard so much about."

Fighting a blush at his words—clearly the man was as charming as legend claimed—Rey smiled widely and took his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Calrissian."

He smiled winningly and shook his head. "You must call me Lando. And welcome to Cloud City, the home I just couldn't stay away from."

"I can see why," Rey said, glancing around her and taking it all in. The planet wasn't especially bright in the Force, though she sensed the brief and powerful history that had occurred here. She had even briefly seen this place in a vision, that fateful day on Takodana. "It's breathtaking."

"Much more so now that you've arrived," the older man said with a wink. He peered behind her. "Speaking of, did Finn come with you?"

"Finn?" Rey started. "You know Finn?"

"Of course!" Lando said, clearly taking her response as an answer to his question in the negative. He turned them around and led her away from the Falcon to where the Jedi would be temporarily staying. "Finn has come here many times to gather supplies and credits for the Resistance. How else did you think the reputation of your beauty preceded you?"

Unable to fight this particular blush, Rey stumbled over her response, trying to change the topic. "So you fund the Resistance? That's very generous of you."

His eyes twinkled merrily at her reaction before showing her mercy and allowing the subject to drift from Finn. "I'm too old to fight directly in this war—but I still believe in action in the face of tyranny. Han and Leia taught me that. I've been very blessed in my old age, and there's no better cause than bringing down the First Order."

"Well, thank you," Rey smiled softly at the man. "Is Leia here?"

"She went straight to her quarters a few hours ago, I'm afraid," he said, and the twinkle in his eye returned. "She mentioned she may have done something to upset you and didn't want to face you immediately."

Rey scowled and Lando let out a laugh. "Yes, she left the sacred Jedi Texts to be destroyed."

"Never was one for following the rules," he laughed, before growing somber. "She married Han, after all."

Rey's smile returned. "They are wonderful people—even if they're a little rough around the edges."

Lando nodded sagely. "And now that I've met you, I can see why they let you so fully and easily into their lives. You gave and have given them both such joy in being able to help, teach, and love a young person such as yourself."

Rey's chest tightened and her eyes prickled at his words—the ones unsaid as powerful as those spoken. Unavoidably, her thoughts turned to Ben Solo, who threw that love and council away like it had been poison, and not the treasure that it truly was. How she wished she could have traded places with that ungrateful, entitled monster.

"I'm only sad my time with Han was so short. But he changed my life."

Lando walked them into the building and took a deep breath. "Mine too, Rey. Mine too".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Lando. How I've missed ye.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think!


	8. Purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a minute. Sorry for the delay. But hey....happy Finnrey Friday!

Poe looked apprehensive, and Finn couldn't blame him. Poe had been immediately welcoming to him when he'd defected from the First Order, but walking among hundreds of Troopers was a different beast altogether.

"Er, Commander Finn, sir," a Stormtrooper called out, halting Finn and Poe's walk through the ranks. Her helmet was removed—as was most of the Grand Hall's occupants—and the black pauldron on her shoulder told Finn immediately of her Sergeant status.

"Please, it's just Finn," he said, before rather ironically adding, "What is it, Sergeant?"

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "I'd like to know my name," she said softly. "My squad would, too. And where we're from. And we're prepared to join the Resistance for that information."

"That information is yours whether you join the Resistance or not," Poe said, a look of pure compassion overcoming his apprehension. Finn smiled at his General. "We'd love to have you and your squad join us, of course. But it needs to be because you want to; not for something that never should have been taken from you in the first place."

The woman looked stunned. And Finn didn't blame her. Poe was the enemy. He was the man the First Order had been calling a terrorist, a war-monger, an evil that needed to be removed. And here, he offered a freedom with no expectation in return.

Finn interrupted her silent introspection with additional news. "We have uploaded all of that information to the mainframe. You should be able to access it at any terminal."

"Let me talk to my squad," she said softly. In his heart, Finn knew she would be joining the Resistance. In fact, he would hazard a guess that well over half of the Troopers on Lenspero would be joining the Resistance.

After his speech, the helmets had come off one by one. A pair of scuffles broke out, and Troopers who refused to take off their buckets were restrained by those whose hearts had stirred at Finn's remarks. Finn was quick to speak up and request they not be hurt.

He had meant it when he said they were free to remain with the First Order. That said, they would be imprisoned until the war was over. That choice was theirs to make—but that meant they were Finn's enemy. He was sure when the war was over, he would be the first to defend them and welcome them back into the galaxy. For now, though, there was a war to win.

He walked among the Troopers for a good hour before opening up a comm with Poe to invite him to the base. He found many like this sergeant now, anxious to be free of the life that had been forced upon them, but quite unsure of what life they wanted in its place. He was quick to give two options. They could stay on Lenspero for a time, help the reconstruction of the planet following occupation. Help it return to the agricultural giant it was before over half of its supply went to the First Order. Finn reassured him his parents would demand no reparations, but would pay them fairly until they could make their way off planet and find whatever family or life awaited them.

His second recommendation was the Resistance. It may not be fair, but they were soldiers—and it was the best way to utilize the skills they had. They would be fed and housed and paid as well as the Resistance could offer. Ultimately, when the war ended, they would have jobs in a new Republic maintaining peace in a galaxy in turmoil. And they could leave at any time.

But most of all, they could actively participate in the demise of the institution that enslaved them.

Just before Poe arrived to join Finn, a Trooper had walked tentatively up to Finn. He recognized the young man as the first one who had taken his helmet off. He was smaller than the average trooper with a thin face and piercing blue eyes. He reminded Finn of Slip in how he carried himself.

"Ever since I heard the story of FN-2187, I wanted to meet you," he said meekly. "I didn't have the courage like you to run. But I knew the First Order was wrong for what it did to me. For what it did to Lenspero, and what it's doing to the galaxy. And now that I see you, and that you're real and you came _back_ for us, I need to fight back. I'll follow you into battle, Commander."

Finn's eyes had stung at the young man's declaration. He looked around him to find many Troopers looking on and nodding their agreement. The Force hummed in his soul—this is what he was supposed to do. This is who he was supposed to be.

And now, as he walked through the many ranks of Troopers, some anxious to join the fight, many undecided, and a few just ready to get out, Finn smiled without restraint. A calm swept through him and he felt his shoulders relax, a tension that he'd never given a name to leaving him for the first time in years.

And then it all returned in an instant with a terrifying and wonderful thought, and he grabbed Poe's arm and hurried him back to the platform in front of the Grand Hall. Poe let himself be led to stand next to Finn at the pulpit and microphone.

"Fellow Troopers," Finn called out, suddenly seized with this great purpose once more. "This is General Poe Dameron. He is the man who helped me escape the First Order. He trusted me when he had no reason to. He welcomed me into the Resistance and helped me discover why fighting back was so important. If you just want to leave the fight, then good for you. I wish you the best. If you're looking to fight back, this is the man who will lead us to victory."

A cheer sounded through the listening Troops, a sound they never would have made in front of their former leaders. Finn backed away from the pulpit to find Poe looking at him quizzically. "Finn, what was that all about? You know I'm just going to assign them to you."

Finn shook his head. "Poe...don't you see? You're the one who has been telling me all this time that the fight is bigger than us. It's bigger than Lenspero."

Poe nodded. "Of course it is. And this was a great step in that bigger fight. We've added more fighters today than in our first year of recruitment after Crait."

"Now imagine it on a galactic scale," Finn said meaningfully.

Poe halted, overwhelmed. His body deflated, and he reached out and grasped Finn's shoulder for support at the grandness of the thought. "Finn...that would..."

Finn leaned forward, a nervous smile on his face. He took a deep breath, and spoke the words even Poe Dameron hadn't dared hope enough to utter. "End the war."

 

Behind him, Kylo Ren's shuttle nestled in a relatively flat plateau near the tallest peak of Ago-Bredah. The Tree Planet did not have many mountains and valleys, and those they did have were neither steep nor deep. With one exception.

The Ago-Bredah peak was a shadow in the otherwise Light world. Where the endless string of connected trees below gave life, the peak was devoid of it. Where animals and streams ran freely among the trees, the peak offered no hoot of a bird, mewl of a critter, or babble of a brook.

It was grey. Stone for hundreds of feet that Kylo clambered over, his cloak blustering in a wind that somehow managed to feel empty of movement. The hike was not strenuous, but for Kylo it was endless.

The Scavenger had bested him twice today. Unlike in his past defeats, Kylo was not injured. His soul was not fractured by recent patricide. He was not trying to lure her to his side. She had simply outsmarted him twice. He clenched his fists and breathed out sharply through his nose. He needed guidance.

The sun was bright but not warm. The air was thin. And Darkness swirled around him as he neared the peak. He felt right at home. He stood there for a moment with his eyes closed, reaching deep inside him for the fury he felt for the girl who dared defy and deny him. For the defected or defective Stormtrooper who chose Light over Dark despite being raised by darkness. For the new General who steadily amassed a new rebellion—no matter how pitiful it still was.

Fury for his mother, who left politics and war _now_ , and not when Ben Solo had been an impressionable child. Not when delegations from the galaxy over moved in and out of his home and life. Not when Supreme Leader Snoke appeared and put in his mind that he deserved more. That the galaxy needed more. That he, Ben Solo, was more.

Kylo opened his eyes to find his victims scattered on the mountain top. Han Solo stood closest and stared at him with sad eyes. Luke Skywalker looked on with regret. Behind the two of them were scores of men, women, and children, with varying degrees of crimes that he had killed them for.

Lor San Tekka, the old Jedi learners that he'd slaughtered in their sleep, Gleb Meeko, and countless other faces that had no names. No names that mattered, in any case. Kylo drew his lightsaber, determined to destroy them all again if that is what this vision demanded.

He pointed the red blade at Skywalker, barely containing the shake of his hand. "You failed, old man. The galaxy is mine."

Luke merely quirked an eyebrow, and Kylo fumed at his nonchalance. He turned his saber to Ben Solo's father and jerked the weapon at the man. This time, the red light shivered with his shaking hand. "Your son is gone."

Han Solo's shoulders sagged. The corners of his eyes dipped, the lines on his face growing more pronounced by the second. He nodded.

Kylo growled, confusion sweeping through him. Why would the Peak give him this vision? What was he supposed to gain from Ben Solo's mentors accepting that Ben Solo was no more? That he could no longer fool them into surrendering themselves to him?

Kylo froze, a sickening realization overtaking him. Han and Luke were both dead, not by his own successes, but by the ignorant belief others held of the Light left in him. That belief was gone now. If the Scavenger was to be defeated, or Leia Organa and the Jedi found and destroyed, Kylo needed to move on from his successes in the past. He needed to embrace the Dark. The Dark that allowed Snoke to kill billions of people to take over the galaxy.

He smirked at Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, lowering his saber. "You always warned me about the Dark Side," he said, his voice proud and chin tipped up. "And yet, it has given me everything I could ever want. With a snap of my fingers, any order will be carried out. I have legions at my beck and call. I am the most feared man in the galaxy, and it bows to my power."

Han scoffed. "And yet the Resistance grows," he said with a smirk. "That's what fear does, son."

"Your so-called love and compassion in the wake of the Imperial War just bred the First Order. Bred me. Maybe the Republic could've used a little more fear. I may not have a super weapon anymore," Kylo said with a sneer. "But I've got millions of trained soldiers who can wipe out planets within a few days. And that's what I'll do, until the Resistance turns themselves in for their treason and war-mongering."

Luke's eyes grew wide with a sharp intake of breath, and that was exactly what Kylo had been hoping for. "Don't you see the hypocrisy of your words?" he pleaded. "The First Order was everything you claim the Resistance to be."

"The First Order has merely taken back what _you_ stole from the Empire. We will return to a galaxy of order, of prosperity. Where the Jedi are no more." 

Luke flinched. And Kylo knew in his heart that Leia Organa would flinch, too. She was the survivor of two genocides. She wouldn't stand by and watch a third.

The apparitions of the peak of Ago-Bredah vanished. Kylo was grateful, unwilling to stare at Ben Solo's family for much longer. He hurried back to his ship, effectively pushing the images of Solo's father and uncle from his mind. He'd had a lot of practice doing so over the last three years since Crait. Luke may have fooled him, but Kylo still killed his old master. And the ghosts of the family he killed threatened to fracture his soul even more. But he fought through it, and became more powerful than ever.

As Kylo fired up the engines of his fighter, he wondered idly if he'd be able to destroy Snoke face to face if he hadn't already done so by using the Scavenger as a diversion. This thought kept his mind occupied and free of reflection on Solo and Skywalker until he arrived back at the Jedi encampment to pick up Naz.

His dutiful Knight climbed into the fighter and asked the question likely on every Knight's mind. "Did you find what you were looking for, Supreme Leader?"

Kylo appraised the young man as he took off, shooting quickly into the evening sky. It had not been a smooth three years. While the Republic had been absolutely devastated, and there wasn't a lot of resistance in taking what little government remained, the galaxy as a whole hadn't immediately accepted their new governing body.

Naz had experienced more than a few outbursts from his Supreme Leader. More than a few failures. Today had been emblematic of how the last three years had gone. The Knights had successfully located the Jedi, and had even forced them to evacuate their holding and sacred temple. Yet, the Scavenger and Leia Organa had a small victory of their own in their escape and booby trap that had killed four Knights.

The Resistance was running and hiding, and taking minor potshots at the First Order along the way, and Kylo knew if he were in his apprentice's shoes, he'd have little respect left for the leader who could not clamp down on the pitiful Resistance. And blaming Hux could only go so far. So when Kylo skimmed the consciousness of Naz and felt no feelings of rebellion or misgivings about Kylo as his leader, he was pleasantly surprised.

"It is time I stop playing by their rules," Kylo answered at last as he entered hyperspace coordinates into his control panel. "Among the Jedi and Resistance's biggest flaws is their compassion for others. We will choose a system that has little bearing on the galaxy's functionality, and destroy it. Then we will broadcast a message that the Jedi must turn themselves in and the Resistance must cease all activity, or we will destroy system after system until they comply."

Naz was silent for a moment, and Kylo thought he sensed some hesitation from his Knight before it vanished. "Speak your mind, Knight."

"Why destroy the system before you send the message?" he asked, and Kylo was relieved to hear curiosity in his voice instead of doubt.

"Efficiency. We will need to prove we're not bluffing, anyway. It is a necessary message to send."

Naz hummed his understanding, but kept his eyes looking forward, and not at his master. Kylo frowned, unused to any sort hesitancy from his favorite Knight. Reaching out with the Force, however, Kylo found nothing to be concerned about on the surface of Naz's mind. If he dug any deeper, Naz would know he was looking. But that was unnecessary anyways. Naz had no reason to keep his true feelings buried. No reason to believe he was always being monitored. No reason to be lying to his master.

Kylo breathed a sigh of relief and allowed himself to slump down into his chair. It had been a trying day, but now he could shut his eyes for a moment and meditate on what came next. And he had his faithful Knight beside him.

 

Bespin had no native life on it. The noxious gas, Tibanna, that made up the planet made the world uninhabitable to even the most resilient of organisms. Of course, it had very valuable resources, and when the galaxy had discovered its value, miners and colonizers had come in droves. It didn't take long for settlements to be built above the poisonous clouds in the safe, thin atmosphere.

Among the early colonizers were the Var'Qin, a small humanoid species from the Eastern Outer Rim. The Var'Qin had since moved on to other planets in search of riches, but they left behind their greatest sport, which all colonizers had embraced and evolved over the years. Every city had several gyms for the sport, despite the premium on space in the cities in the clouds.

Disco was not the most original name for a sport in which its athletes threw a disk through vertical hoops at either end of a court, but it made for easy quick explanations for newcomers to Bespin. Two such newcomers had been briefed on the sport, and they listened with interest. But ultimately, they were not in Cloud City to play Disco.

The humming crash of two lightsabers echoed throughout the gym. Rey's face lit blue and yellow as she smiled at the young padawan looking back at her across their blades. Young Koral was a Togruta whom Leia had met when she was just a child. Apparently she was the granddaughter of an old acquaintance from the Rebellion days. She was strong with the force, and much more predisposed to a lightsaber than hours of meditation.

Rey had taken keen and careful interest in the young girl, a few years her junior.

"What drives you today?" Rey asked as their blades separated and they began stalking in a circle, carefully planning their next attack. Rey enjoyed their spars. While Koral was not quite the match that Finn had proven to be—thus why they could use their lightsabers in training, instead of sparring weapons—she was a competitor, and these spars proved invaluable in Rey's evaluation of both her skills and her state of mind. Few of her students toed the line of the Dark Side quite like Koral.

"I want to finally best you," Koral grinned and leapt towards Rey with a growl.

Rey easily parried the blow and Force pushed Koral halfway across the gym. She couldn't help the smile as she chided her padowan. "You can't expect me not to admonish you for that answer."

Koral picked herself up, still grinning. "Come on, Rey. You expect me to give you some bantha shit answer about how my only goal in this Jedi Academy is to keep the peace and find my center? Leave that for your Meditators."

Rey shook her head as the two women approached each other once more. The new Jedi Academy was not full of Jedi Knights—not everyone here even had a lightsaber. It was important to Rey that the new Jedi Order be like the ancient one, not the Order of the Republic that had failed so spectacularly. "There's nothing wrong with the Jedi Meditators," Rey reminded Koral gently. They had been the ones to sense the Knights of Ren before they'd come, after all. They were the ones learning more about the Force, and the intimate relationship Jedi could have with it.

Rey hoped they'd be able to unlock some of the other ancient Jedi secrets, such as healing and life-sharing.

"And there's nothing wrong with a Knight, either," Koral said with a slight frown and a twirl of her saber.

Rey nodded. "You're speaking to one," she said with a light chuckle. "But there _is_ a difference between a Jedi Knight and a Knight of Ren. And that line can be awfully thin and easily crossed. So I ask you again, what drives you?"

Koral deactivated her lightsaber. She gave a long sigh. "Most days, I just want to get better so I can beat you and you'll let me go with you on your missions. That I can experience more than meditation and sparring."

She paused, and Rey let her organize her thoughts. "But sometimes, when Leia talks about what's going on in the galaxy. When reports of another captured world reaches the academy. When I think about what Gran went through. Then I know why I'm really doing this."

"And that is?" Rey prompted.

"People deserve to be free. And I've been given a gift to help give them that freedom."

Rey smiled. "I think that's a wonderful purpose, Koral. And, if you lose sight of it every now and then for the sake of adventure, I think that's okay, too. Just as long as you remember it when it matters most."

Koral smiled and nodded, bowing to her teacher and friend. Rey smirked before adding one more lesson. "As for besting me, you can just give up on that motivation right now. It's never happening."

Koral glared at Rey before a challenging smile appeared, and they leapt back towards each other, blades drawn and warrior spirits released.

They continued on for some time before Rey caught Lando watching them from the side. She dismissed Koral and walked over to the older man. His smile was magnetic, eyes crinkled to reveal its authenticity. "I haven't seen melee combat so exciting since Luke was still a young man."

Rey smiled in appreciation. "Yes, we're learning a lot about how the Force guides and helps us in combat. Hopefully it will be enough to fight the First Order."

"I've been through this once before," Lando said, more somber. "And let me tell you, the galaxy is every bit as ready to fight back now as it ever was during the days of the Empire. The Emperor was given his power. The Supreme Leader has merely taken it—and the galaxy is not content with that, by and large."

"I can't imagine his approval rating is all that high," Rey commented with a smirk. It was fitting that Kylo Ren should be the most hated man in the galaxy. He deserved that.

Sadly, he also deserved the rampant fear that swept the galaxy.

"I remember young Ben Solo before he let the allure of power and glory overtake him. He was very much like your young Togruta friend there. Strong, driven, generally happy. Han, Leia, and Luke...they all did and said the right things, too. I'm sure mistakes were made along the way, but Ben got it into his head that he was destined for more—and there was nothing anyone could do at that point. Kylo was born, and he cast Ben aside. I remember the day Leia sent him away to Luke. It broke her heart that nothing she tried was helping him.

"I also remember the look on Ben's face. Like he had succeeded. At the time, I didn't understand it. Now, I know better. It was always in his mind to join the Jedi and take them down from inside. Kylo had already won the war against Ben before Leia even sent him to Luke."

Rey shuddered, casting her eyes down and berating herself for the millionth time for falling for his routine. He'd perfected it over the years, convincing Leia, Han, Luke, and even Snoke that the Light in him was real, if only for a moment. All to achieve his goals. And now he was Supreme Leader of the galaxy.

But amidst the frustration and anger she felt, a spark of light came into her heart. She felt a familiar pull in her chest that lifted her pain. Her shoulders lowered from their tense positions, and she felt her muscles in her back loosen. She turned her head in the direction of the pull, a smile forming on her lips.

Then she heard a chuckle from Lando, and she turned an inquisitive eye to him.

"Finn must have just arrived," he said with a smirk.

"Did he tell you he was coming?" Rey asked, frowning that he hadn't relayed that information to her.

Lando laughed again and shook his head. "No, but I saw Leia's head quirk whenever Han arrived enough to know what you just experienced."

Rey's face flushed deep that her bond with Finn equated to Leia's with her husband. she glanced back in the direction of Finn's arrival; her embarrassment meant little right now. That sentiment must have shown on her face, because Lando smiled much more gently at her and nodded his head to the door. "Go ahead."

She rushed from the Disco gym and hurried to the main docking platform that she assumed Finn would be landing on, speeding to a half jog whenever she was alone in a corridor, and in a speedwalk when curious eyes fell on her. Frankly, she didn't care.

When she had left Finn on Lenspero, she hadn't expected to see him for weeks. She knew getting settled with the Jedi Academy needed to be her top priority. And Finn...well, Finn had just found his family. He was a prince of a planet. He had the Stormtroopers to look after, assuming his mission went as planned. She hadn't dreamed he would come back to her just a day after she left.

She emerged onto the landing bay just as Finn's shuttle touched down. The ramp lowered as Rey reached the ship, and he stepped forward, a smile as bright as the Bespin sun, unhindered above the clouds and in thin atmosphere. BB-8 hurried down the ramp with excited beeps and said his hellos before hurrying forward to the city. Rey looked back up at Finn, who gazed at her with a look she'd never seen before. Like he'd finally solved a puzzle. Rey knew most of Finn's expressions—this one was new. His eyes stayed  glued on her as he descended the ramp, and wrapped her up in a tight embrace.

It hadn't been a day, but given what they'd both experienced in that day, their reunion felt as sweet and necessary as any they'd had before.

"What are you doing here?" Rey asked, the joy in her surprise evident in her voice.

"We've got work to do," Finn said softly, and she could feel his smile against her ear as he leaned further into her in their hug. Work? Didn't he have work to do on Lenspero?

She pulled back, stomach clenching. "But the Stormtroopers," she said, eyebrows knit together despite the smile on his face. "Your family. Finn, you're a _prince_."

He rolled his eyes, his smile turning into a smirk. "Please," he scoffed. "I'm a Commander, not a prince. And my family was very understanding when I said goodbye to them. They knew I was coming back to my first family." He lifted his hand up and cupped her cheek. His eyes were so soft, so caring on her.

There was a new tension between the two of them. She had been uncharacteristically physical with him the previous day. Something she didn't often let herself do. She had loved every second of it, of course, and hoped it might continue the next time they met. And sure enough, he let his thumb glide over her cheek, and she leaned into the gentle contact.

His words rang in her head—his first family. She was his family, as he was hers. She needed him to always be her family because unlike him, she hadn't found hers. Rey leaned away from his contact, as her eyes prickled with emotion, and she blinked a couple of times to prevent the tears from forming. "And the Stormtroopers?" Rey asked a second time, refocusing their conversation and forcing her heart to cease its feather-light dancing. Normal heartbeats were much preferred at this time.

Finn dropped his hand, and his gentle smile turned resolute. The Force hummed in Rey, emanating from Finn like the glow from a lightsaber. This was a new development that she was keen on discussing with him. But first, he shared the work that they had to do. "The Stormtroopers of Lenspero are free. I'm here because I need your help freeing the rest of them."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know how some chapters are just a pain in the ass? It's not necessarily that I dislike this chapter. I certainly don't like it though. But it was such a struggle to write, and the thought of revamping it and spending more weeks on it hurt my insides. So, I'm posting it and looking forward to future developments, instead.
> 
> I love learning how to improve my writing. So please give me your thoughts, particularly with chapters like these where I'm not satisfied, but don't quite know why. And hey, if you liked it despite my misgivings, I can always use a little ego boost, too.


	9. Close

Rey ushered Finn into the Jedi's makeshift meditation room. There, she found several of the Jedi Meditators sitting in peace, occasionally speaking in hushed tones about the Force, the state of the galaxy, or what would be for dinner.

Most of the Jedi learners who had sought out Rey and Leia in the aftermath of the First Order's galactic takeover were not young, impressionable minds. Rather, they were people of all species and experiences who had always felt the Force in them, but hadn't known what to do with it. When Luke rebuilt the Jedi Academy, many of them were too old, despite Luke taking in children and young adults alike.

Rey and Leia had a different approach. The term Jedi with all of its connotations needed to change. When all was said and done, a Jedi _should_ be a Force-user who dedicates their life to Light, and therefore the service of others. All of the ranks, rules, and restrictions should be secondary to that fundamental truth of what a Jedi truly was.

So when the eighty year-old Dressellian named Orrimaarko contacted Leia for the first time since the days of the Rebellion and asked if he could join them, Leia didn't scoff at his age or his minimal Force abilities. She welcomed him whole-heartedly into the new academy and helped him hone what connection he did have in the Force.

Orrimaarko had been the first student to read through the entire collection of Jedi texts, achieving what Rey certainly hadn't been able to do. He had been invaluable in discussions of the Force and learning what the Jedi had lost over the years. Even if he could barely lift a button with the Force, he was now an instructor who helped students much less patient and careful than he to understand the occasionally abstract ideas of the Force in a real and useful way.

The Dressellian now looked up from his desk and smiled as Rey and Finn entered the room. Unlike most of Cloud City's interior designs, the Jedi had altered the look of the room. They'd put in softer lighting so the room glowed a warm red-yellow instead of the blaring white that hurt Rey's eyes if she looked at the walls for any extended period of time. The furniture with hard edges and cold surfaces had been replaced by comfortable mats and cushions that the Jedi could meditate on without irritation or body pains.

Orrimaarko stood slowly to meet Rey, and he knew her request before she even had to ask it. "I'll have the room cleared out," he said with a nod, before glancing over to Finn with a smile.

Orrimaarko liked Finn—who didn't, really—because Finn had a similar struggle with the Force that he did. They had spent hours deep in discussion as the Dressellian tried to convince Finn he had the Force while Finn tried to convince Orrimaarko it was okay that he didn't. Orrimaarko would get deep into the theology of how the Force is the very essence of life, so by the very nature of living, Finn had the Force. Finn would counter that by that logic, everyone had the Force, so he was no different from anyone else.

Rey had observed the discussions from afar, too confused by her own relationship with the Force in Finn to add to either side of the debate.

But that was why she was here now. Something had changed in Finn, and they both wanted to find out what it was, even if he had asked if they could have dinner first. Rey denied the request.

"Thank you, Orrimaarko," Rey responded softly. She did not want prying ears listening in on hers and Finn's conversation, and was grateful the elderly man had the wisdom to see it in her face.

The room was soon cleared, and the Dressellian gave them a final nod before scuttling out after the other Jedi learners. Rey grabbed Finn's hand and led him over to a pair of cushions, where she pulled him down to sit facing him.

Finn reached out and grabbed her other hand, and held them on their knees, nearly touching in their cross-legged positions. He leaned forward slightly, expectantly. Rey couldn't help but lean towards him, too, and squeezed his hands.

"Tell me about the Stormtroopers," she said. "And tell me about the Force."

Finn nodded as his face screwed up in concentration, as if trying to remember a dream that was quickly slipping away. "I spoke to them. I just _knew_ what to say. I could feel the emptiness in them, and knew that I had the means to fill it. And before they accepted my offer to leave the First Order, I just _felt_ it."

Rey beamed at him. "And what did it feel like?"

"Certainty. Purpose. Like something outside of myself was putting it there, though. And I felt it in my chest. In my nerves. In my heart." He paused before looking at Rey with knit brows. "Is any of that making sense?"

She nodded quickly, excitement building in her. Finally, after three years of trying to get him to feel this, he had experienced it. The Force was pouring off of him in waves with his hurried description. Had the Force finally awoken for him as it did her in Maz Kanata's basement?

"It makes perfect sense, Finn. Now the question is, can you reach back out and put your intentions back into the Force?"

Finn shook his head with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Rey reached out a hand toward the cushion next to them. "You're speaking about the Force interacting with you. Helping you find purpose. Words to speak. Understanding of other people, and their intentions. Many of the Jedi learners here don't have that kind of connection to the Force. That ear for its guidance.

"What I want you to do, is go in the other direction, now. The Force has spoken to you. Speak back. Ask it to lift this cushion." And as she spoke the words, she felt a familiar current run through her, and the cushion lifted off of the ground in demonstration.

Finn nodded as she let it fall to the ground and held his hand out like she had. He closed his eyes, and Rey could feel the tension in his body. He stiffened up and frowned, effort plainly written on his face. Rey held her breath, leaned forward, and willed him to succeed, doing everything short of reaching out with the power and lifting the cushion herself.

His hand shook lightly for a moment before it clenched tightly as he let out a groan. "Now I can't feel a thing again."

He was right. The Force that had just been so lively and present had gone without a trace. "It's this planet," Rey said, frustration in her voice. "There's no life here—and it's hard to draw on the Force where it's already so weak. It's not a good place to learn."

Finn shook his head. "No. I just can't lift cushions." Rey studied him for a moment. His voice was not defeated, he met her gaze without sadness or regret. In fact, Rey felt much more deflated at this revelation than Finn looked. She grabbed his hands again, but realized that she longed for the contact much more for her own comfort than his. She wanted Finn to feel the Force like her. She _needed_ him to understand it. To understand her.

She studied his positive demeanor, the light smile as he appraised her the same as she did him. He was so steady. He was so good, and unhurried when it came to her. He may not understand what Force she felt. But he understood _her_. She was just Rey to him. She did not feel the Force in him just then, but she started to feel _something_. Something she would rather not name and worry about at the moment. So she focused on Finn and the Force.

"Koral didn't learn how to use the Force for lifting objects until she needed to in battle. You're a warrior, Finn. You're as good a fighter as me. Maybe it will be the same for you."

Her eyes didn't leave his, wishing he could believe it. Wishing she could find the words that he needed to hear to unlock his abilities. He merely smiled back at her, rather unconcerned.

"Sure, let's try that," he said, not condescendingly, but perhaps just humoring her. He squeezed her hands and winked at her. "But let's grab some dinner first, yeah?"

 

General Hux had a rather plain office. First Order through and through, the young military leader had no interest in frivolities and personal effects to adorn his space. No, he preferred an orderly desk with no reminders of the detestable family Kylo had heard whisperings of. Walls without the distractions of art or color, but rather with maps and monitors. An office without any sort of indicator as to who its owner was except for the man sitting behind his desk.

"Supreme Leader," Hux said, standing to attention as Kylo and Naz entered the spacious room.

"Sit down, General," Kylo ordered as he swept into the room and made his way over to a monitor that had a map of the galaxy pulled up.

The peevish man sat with a restrained huff. "Supreme Leader, now is not the best time for a visit. The Lenspero System—"

Kylo remembered Hux bringing the system up the previous day when he'd taken Naz from him. It caught his attention, and he recognized it was likely a significant problem for Hux to highlight it twice so quickly. However, he would not allow Hux to tell him he couldn't visit. So he interrupted his General.

"Hux, any time is a good time for a visit from me."

Kylo got an odd satisfaction from seeing Hux's face heat red with a mixture of anger and fear. He could see and sense the war raging inside Hux. To put up a fight and assert his own self importance, or to meekly subdue and prevent any pain from coming to him? It was the battle Kylo enjoyed keeping Hux engaged in for the past three years. He'd allow himself to enjoy it now, but Kylo had things to do.

"We need to send a message to the Resistance and the Jedi," Kylo spoke.

"I take it your discovery mission did not go as planned?" Hux asked, the smarm in his voice unbearable. Kylo turned on him with a glare so murderous, Hux immediately shut his mouth. His eyes darted over to Naz, whose expression remained unchanged.

"I want you to choose a planet—choose one that isn't all that important to the galaxy's prosperity, one low on natural resources, whose trading market is low. But make sure it's populated enough that it will be meaningful when they all die."

Hux hesitated, his eyes darting over to Naz a second time. This bothered Kylo more than he understood why. "Supreme Leader, we don't have a weapon that can—"

"We have a military force unseen since the peak of the Empire!" Kylo shouted at the man, fists clenched and chest immediately heaving. "They can sweep across a planet in a matter of days."

"Yes, if they weren't all busy occupying systems right now," Hux argued, and stood from his chair. "Even today, we are getting reports of minor skirmishes, and Lenspero—"

"This will put an end to the rebellions," Kylo ordered. He gave the General his best glare and took a steadying breath. "If they see what we are willing to do, fear will occupy the galaxy better than our Troopers ever could."

Hux nodded, and it seemed he finally agreed with something Kylo said. "Even so, there are still things our Troopers are needed for. The Lenspero system has been silent for nearly two days now, and we are getting reports from surrounding systems that their leaders never returned from the leadership summit on the planet."

That was intriguing.

"Don't send a fleet," Kylo said. "Take two of my Knights. We've all just returned and they should be available. Perform reconnaissance and report to me. Are our officers shirking, or has the planet revolted? We may have just found the perfect example to make for the galaxy."

Hux hesitated once more. "Supreme Leader, Lenspero is the opposite of low trade value. They have been our primary supplier of food for over two decades."

Kylo turned from Hux and marched to the doorway. "We own the galaxy now, General. We can find food elsewhere. We can't tolerate insurgency."

 

Finn followed Rey from the dining hall with a broad smile on his face. It was rather enjoyable having his two worlds collide. Dinner with Rey at his side and Lando across the table was everything he'd hoped it to be when he dreamed about it during his past trips to Cloud City to meet with Lando.

The man was a hero and a legend. Someone who, like Finn, hadn't always known there was a cause worth joining. But also like Finn, despite his past, Lando had known what was right. And it had eventually led him to leadership in the Rebellion.

They had hit it off immediately two years earlier when Poe had requested Finn retrieve the latest food supply from Lando. Finn appreciated Lando's style—both his living style, and the way he interacted with people. The man was smooth, but he was kind. It was a pleasure to get to know him, and also to observe from afar.

Lando had a way of easing others in any situation. Sometimes he used it for his own advantage—getting a good deal on a new shipment or earning a new ally who could help him later—but most often, he used his natural charm to make people happy. And Finn was one of those people he made happy.

Over just the past two years, Finn had watched Cloud City grow. Lando told him it used to be just the one enormous circular mining town. When Lando had returned for good, he set out to make it a true city, self-sustaining in addition to the heavy exports the mining industry provided. There were now dozens of offshoots from the main central station, including the one the Jedi were currently staying on and Lando was visiting. Like its much-larger parent station, the Jedi occupied another large circular platform on which several levels of buildings were built. Finn rather enjoyed this smaller station—he could actually get to know the people here, and could walk across the station within an hour, where the main station was so enormous it would take years to see every room and establishment.

Over dinner, Lando had regaled them with stories of old, constantly engaging them with parallels of his own past and their future. He wasn't at all subtle as he compared Finn and Rey to Han and Leia, even winking at Finn and jerking his head over at Rey with a smile. Knowing Lando as he did, Finn was able to laugh off the man's behavior, though he did catch Rey blush at his words and rub her thumb over her forearm nervously.

And this behavior also contributed to Finn's smile as she led him by the hand toward the armory where they could pick up some sparring equipment and weapons. Rey carefully tucked her two weapons—a practice sword and her staff—in one hand awkwardly. Finn noticed as he slid on his jetpack and body armor, and he narrowed his eyes at her free hand before glancing up and seeing Rey trying to act aloof about her odd method of carrying her weapons  He let out a laugh and a strange wave of excitement swept through him, quickly shifting his own gear to one arm so he could take her hand once more.

He reached out tentatively. His relationship with Rey was so unique, Finn didn't know what this gesture meant. He knew what he _wanted_ it to mean. She smiled at him shyly and grasped his hand before leading him out of the armory and towards the elevator outside the central hotel on the station.

 He knew better than to read into her behavior too much. After all, she, like him, grew up in a form of isolation—hers even more poignant than his. While the handholding, gentle smiles, and lingering glances may normally indicate feelings beyond friendship, Rey may not be intending any of that. It's possible she's touch-starved, always seeking his hand or a hug. And even if the way she bashfully smiled at him during dinner made his heart momentarily stop and then start back up again at twice the rate and force, there was no rule against a friend smiling at another friend. In fact, that was rather common.

They arrived and stepped on the elevator, not once disconnecting their fingers. The elevator ran on the outside of the tallest building on the station. It was used mostly for transporting large shipments, but Finn was grateful they took the outside lift instead of the one inside the building. The sun was getting close to the clouds on the horizon, the sky just beginning to add the warmer tones of orange and red. The sun was still warm on his face, though, and he snuck a glance at Rey, who had her eyes closed against the sunlight, he squeezed her hand softly and she smiled again.

Whether it meant anything or not, Finn loved the handholding and the smiles. He'd never felt so sure as when he was touching her. And now, she was in an almost giddy and infectious mood. Finn thought it was likely because they had finally started to make some headway on his connection to the Force. It had bothered her for years. It had come so easily for her, and she was so _sure_ she could feel it in him, too. So why wasn't it manifesting itself for him like it had for her?

Finn finally believed her that the Force ran through him, too. He finally felt it, and moreso acknowledged its influence in his life.

However, Finn didn't think it would ever manifest itself for him as it did her. And he was fine with that. He wouldn't take away this moment from her—partly because he loved spending this time with her before they had to commence with their mission, but mostly because he loved seeing her happy. And if the potential of him experiencing the Force like her and doing the things she can do made her happy, then Finn would give it a shot. But at the end of the day, the Force had helped him escape the First Order and was helping him free other troopers now. If that was all he ever got out of the great cosmic power, Finn was content with his lot. Grateful, even.

The elevator came to a stop and Rey opened her eyes, only to find that Finn was still staring at her. He felt his face flush at being caught, but it only elicited another shy smile from her, so Finn didn't regret his action too much.

The white-topped roof of the building was slightly bowed. Rey led Finn to the center of the tall building's roof, and Finn tested the smooth surface by rotating and shifting his feet with each step. He had surprisingly good grip on the surface, which probably helped Rey's fighting style more than his.

The sunlight was dimming in the evening sky, though the reds and yellows painted across the clouds allowed Finn to see Rey and his surroundings perfectly—easily a half hour to an hour of light for their spar remained on this evening.

At last they reached the center of the roof, and Rey released his hand slowly—he felt her fingers linger just a moment on his as they slid from his hand—and walked twenty paces away. She smiled brilliantly at him, and Finn's heart beat a little faster at the fire growing in her eyes. She was mesmerizing in action. Finn had worked every day to improve his combat skills. And while aiding the Resistance had been his primary reason, a _very_ close second was being capable to sparring with Rey. He rarely felt closer to Rey than when they crossed blades in a battle of pure instinct. Her warcries sent a thrill through him like an injection of death sticks. When she bore her teeth and her brow angled down in concentrated aggression, his body did everything up to—and sometimes included—arousal. He felt alive when they battled, and he felt a bond with her that he knew she reciprocated.

And now, she pulled out her practice saber and twirled it around experimentally. Finn unholstered his blaster, set to 'light laser' so as to cause just a little sting, but otherwise do no harm. Her blade would be able to reflect the blasts just like in real battle, but wouldn't do more than strike Finn like a hot, blunt wood sword. The precautions allowed the two of them to hold nothing back and truly fight like they were up against a Knight of Ren.

Finally, Finn reached for his shockwhip, careful to turn the safety on so he didn't accidentally electrocute his dear friend. Rey glared at the weapon good-naturedly, having had a few bouts end with her on her backside because of it.

"Ready when you are, Jedi," Finn taunted through a smile.

Rey grinned, and it turned into a grimace when lowered her brow and darted at him without warning.

Rey was faster than him, and if she managed to get into tight combat, he had little advantage over her. He may be more powerful, but Rey was crafty, and so his primary objective was to remain several steps out of her reach at all times.

So he leapt backwards and ignited his jetpack thrusters, taking aim at her with his blaster and firing.

She dodged a pair of blasts easily while reflecting a few more. Finn reacted quickly to the returning fire and adjusted in midair to avoid his own blasts while creating a new angle for her to defend against.

She continued deflecting for a moment longer before she leapt over his string of blasts right as his blaster stopped firing for a moment of necessary cool-down. Finn cursed at allowing himself to be so predictable with his weapon. He attempted to fly up and away from her, but she reached up and pulled with the Force.

Often, his thrusters could match or even beat the pull of the Force, but Rey must have been especially in tune and focused this evening, because he started to return to solid ground and his opponent, her face screwed up in concentration, beads of sweat revealing her effort.

Finn pulled out his shockwhip, but was too close to use it by the time he lifted his arm to whip it at her legs. Instead, he was forced to lift his left arm and activate the conductor vanes running along his armor to block her blade. With her weapon locked in place and concentration diverted, Finn reignited his thrusters and lowered his right shoulder. He rammed into, through, and over Rey before flying past her by a few steps.

Finn heard an "Oof!" and her body hit the ground followed by a growl in frustration. He turned quickly in midair, bringing his shockwhip down simultaneously before he even knew where she was. She was just getting to her feet when his whip wrapped around her left leg and he tugged, sending her back to her backside.

He was amazed how easily these reactions came to him. It was easily the most instinctual he had even fought. Like something was controlling him—but at the same time, he was doing it all himself. It made little sense, and so he knew exactly what was at work here.

The Force had helped round one go to Finn.

He dropped quickly to the ground and extended a hand to help her up after she loosened the whip from her ankle. She grinned at him, and Finn saw no hint of malice—though the competition in her eyes told him there would be at least two more rounds so she could win the night. He loved that about her, and he smiled back.

"You felt it, didn't you?" Rey asked.

Finn nodded. "Like with everything else, I have no idea how to _use_ it. But I know it's there, now."

Rey reached forward and squeezed his hand. "That's why I'm here. We'll figure it out."

Finn still wasn't so sure. If the Force was with him, why did he need to _use_ it? Why couldn't it just use him as a worthy vessel for Light? He had just won this fight, after all, without needing to control the Force. A great cosmic power that runs through everything didn't seem like something that should be controlled anyway.

But he nodded regardless. "So, what's my first step."

"In the height of your emotion," Rey started, looking to the side as if searching for the right words somewhere on the horizon. "Reach out with your feelings. Use that energy, that excitement, and reach for my weapon, or for me. Push, pull, I don't care. Just extend all that you're feeling out."

Finn nodded, still very unsure of how to harness this energy he'd been feeling, but willing to try.

And they resumed, their second spar going like the first in intensity, though different in each movement, action, and reaction. Within moments, Finn had Rey backing up with a series of blaster volleys and swings with his whip. Rey dodged and deflected, eying him for an opening. Finn felt the Force building within him, his movements crisp and almost out-of-body in their decisiveness. And so he did as he was told and reached out with that energy.

And it was gone. Within a second, Rey was on him, and a swing of her blade to his leg sent him to his knees. Before he could react, her blade pointed at his chest.

Round two went to Rey. The Force had failed him the second he tried to control it.

Rey frowned, not at all pleased with her victory. Like him, she surely felt the Force had left him. Unlike him, however, Rey was angry about it. She dropped her weapon and let out a groan, looking up into the sky as if hoping for a manifestation of the Force to appear for her to berate.

"It's okay, Rey," Finn started. But Rey cut him off.

"It's _not_ okay, Finn!" She shouted, her attention coming back to him immediately. "It's not fair that this isn't working for you. It's not fair that it came so easily to me. It's not fair that you have to wonder all the time what it's trying to tell you or how to communicate with it. It's not fair that I have—"

She cut herself off and turned her face from Finn, fighting tears. Finn waited for her to finish her thought, but she didn't. And he knew that she didn't want to. Not right now. He reached down and grabbed her hand, which she gripped tightly. He'd give her time. He would help her confide in him eventually. But for now, he needed her to know he was there for her.

She turned back to him, and he wiped away her single tear with his thumb. She took a steadying breath before smiling shakily at him. "Sorry," she said. "You're the one who should be frustrated by this, not me."

He shook his head. "I've never known about the Force, so anything I'm feeling and experiencing right now is just a bonus. There's no call for frustration. For you, I imagine it's very frustrating not to be able to share this with someone."

Her eyes softened and dropped to his chest, and Finn knew he guessed at least part of her problem. "Not just with someone, Finn. I want to share it with you."

He couldn't restrain his smile at her words despite the somber mood. "Let's go again," Finn said, stepping back and gripping his blaster.

Rey looked back up and a genuine and excited smile slowly crept back up her face, even reaching her eyes. She lifted her practice blade once more, and they were off.

Unlike the first two, the third spar lasted much longer. They were more deliberate in their actions, calling out recommendations on form, then trash-talking and laughter. At some point, after Finn landed a stinging shot on Rey's leg and she managed to Force pull him to the ground, their playful and instructing spar turned serious. The banter became competitive growls while their laughter turned into challenging grins. Once more, Finn found himself unbelievably and undeniably attracted to this warrior desert girl.

They battled in silence now save for their heaving breaths, signaling the fight was against exhaustion as much as it was against each other at this point. Finn's movements became sloppy, but so did Rey's. They fought in a mid-distance combat, Rey continuously charging Finn, only to have him block her attempts and jet backwards to use his own weapons, which she dodged carefully before repeating the process.

Finn felt the sweat all over his body, his muscles tired, his mind no longer sharp. But he tried to rely on that otherworldly power that he felt in him, coaxing his every move. His mind may be slow, but the Force wasn't. The Force hadn't weakened like his crude matter.

He leapt back from Rey's attack one last time, firing a pair of blasts to her right side. She moved her weapon quickly to deflect the blasts, just as he swung his right arm down and watched with satisfaction as the whip wrapped around her waist tightly. He yanked hard, and Rey came spinning quickly toward him.

He caught her instinctively, hand dropping the whip and catching her around the waist and pinning her to himself to steady her. His left hand held his blaster tightly and stuck it in her lower rib.

He was about to taunt her, third round goes to Finn, but he quickly realized Rey's spinning hurtle towards him hadn't been as out of control as he thought. She'd easily brought her blade up to his neck. Draw.

But Finn quickly forgot about the spar. Her blade dropped from his neck, his blaster lowered from her side. But she left a hand on his chest, and he left his arm wrapped tightly around her, even gripping her waist a little tighter.

The sun had gone down. The yellows and oranges of sunset were now a fading purple and deep red. But the remaining light was plenty for Finn to study Rey's face. And study it, he did. Like he'd never really allowed himself to do. Particularly from this close, just inches away from her.

She positively glowed, the sheen of their physical activity causing Finn's body to heat up with an all-too-familiar desire. The smattering of freckles across her cheeks screamed to be touched, to be kissed. He wanted to count them, one by one. But the curve of her lips was too distracting to do it now. They both still breathed heavily from their spar, and Finn could feel her breath mingling with his. Even hitting his own lips, a ghost of what he longed for.

The air itself seemed to gather around them, making it hard to breath in an entirely pleasant way. He gripped her waist harder still, and even pulled her closer to him. He felt her hand run up his armor and curl over the neck line so she could touch his body directly. The small contact weakened his legs, so he stepped forward as much as possible.

He managed to tear his eyes from her lip to look back at her eyes. Such a glorious hazel, Finn thought he saw the galaxy there, in her eyes. The flecks of green and brown seemed to dance in the late evening light—more life there than this galaxy ever had.

Her eyes studied his face and lips like he had done to hers. Slowly, she brought her eyes up to meet his. Her pupils were blown when they locked with his, and the thickened air grew hot.

"Is this the Force, too?" Finn asked, knowing the answer already.

"No," she replied quietly, her voice strained. She gripped his armor tightly as she pinned her eyes to his. "This is something else."

Finn smiled, pleased that she admitted to feeling it as well. "I'd still like to learn about it, though."

Her nod was miniscule, but it was there. She'd like to learn, too. They drew closer together, but Finn was careful not to completely close the gap. He needed this to be Rey's decision. He needed her to be sure about this.

"Finn..." she whispered, and he'd never loved his name more. It was a lover's whisper. He'd heard his name said thousands of time with thousands of voices with thousands of tones. And never had it reached into his soul and tugged like it did now.

He could feel more than her breath on his lips now. No, her lips were so close, he could sense them, feel them despite not yet touching. He wanted nothing more than to lean forward just a hair more and kiss her. To feel their bodies connect, a sigh of contentment against his mouth, a hum of excitement against hers. To have her lips move against his, slanting just right as they got to know each other, listening carefully for the signs of what the other enjoyed. He wanted to taste her. He wanted to make her feel special and good and loved.

Instead, she pulled away slowly. Finn's heart sank. His arm suddenly felt heavy as she stepped backwards, and he released her from around the waist. Her hand fell from his chest, and her eyes looked down at their feet like they held some great mystery she needed to solve.

"I'm..." she started. He didn't want her to apologize. He didn't even want an explanation. He just wanted her back in his arms. She seemed to sense his frustration and lack of interest in words. She looked up at him quickly before turning and hurrying to the elevator.

He watched her go, body fading in the early night sky. The beautiful colors of the sun had gone now, and Finn was left empty. He shouldn't be surprised. In fact, a part of him wasn't. There was a reason he had waited for her to kiss him, after all. Something had always held Rey back.

He was done pretending like she didn't feel for him the same way he felt for her. Want him the same way he wanted her. No. That wasn't the problem.

When she'd looked at him before leaving, he saw it in her eyes. There was an apology there, certainly. There was no small amount of regret, either. But hidden amidst the indecision,  the frustration, and pain, Finn saw fear.

Finn frowned in his heartache. Why was she afraid?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was...I dunno. Can you have a favorite chapter that also drives you crazy? Cuz that's what this one was for me. Hope you enjoyed it!


	10. Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, I'm so frustrated I couldn't write this faster! I hate losing momentum like I did. But, hopefully I'm back on track now!

Finn lay on the rooftop and stared at the night sky. Two of Bespin's moons glowed bright in the sky, and Finn tried to orient the stars to distract his troubled mind. This system was too far from any that he was used to, however, so the stars were a mess in the sky that he couldn't make sense of.

Much like his own life.

After nearly an hour of staring and thinking and trying not to think, Finn huffed and rolled off his back and to his feet. He marched to the elevator that Rey had used in her quick departure and frowned. Try as he might, he knew he needed to think about her. He needed to work out what he felt and how he was going to behave when they departed for their mission on the next day.

The lift started its long descent and Finn let the moment with Rey return to his mind. She had been right there. In his arms, under his fingertips, and at his lips. He wondered, if he had closed the gap, would she have run? Or would she have been caught up in the moment, getting over whatever fears held her back? If she had gotten caught up in the moment, would she have regretted it, and run anyway? Only this time, _after_ he had gotten a real taste of her. Maybe that would have hurt even more.

Finn shook his head of the silly thoughts. None of that happened, so why was he worrying about it? Especially when what did happen gave him so much to concern himself over. He sighed as the elevator slowed to a stop. He followed the sigh with a groan, and looked up to the stars again. He didn't even know what he should be doing. He doubted he could sleep, his thoughts were such a blur. He knew he shouldn't go confront Rey, if he could even find her. But he needed her for the mission tomorrow, so he had to do _something_.

Finn headed for his quarters, unable to organize a single thought about his feelings or his plan for the next day. This could not have happened at a worse time.

Fortunately for Finn, a welcome distraction came in the form of Lando Calrissian as Finn walked into the building he would be staying in for the night.

"Finn," he called out jovially before catching the look on Finn's face. Lando frowned with concern. "Hey, kid, what's wrong?"

Finn actually let out a laugh. He couldn't organize a single thought. How could he possibly put it into words. Did he even want to?

But a closer look at Lando's concerned features made Finn soften and long for a bit of guidance. "Listen, Lando—it's probably not a secret I have a...complicated past with Rey?"

Lando quirked an eyebrow. "I assumed as much, the way you two talk about and behave around each other."

"Well," Finn ran his hand over his head and rubbed at the back of his neck. "It just got more complicated. At a time where I could use less complication."

Lando's eyes narrowed. "Did she break things off with you?"

"What?" Finn exclaimed. "Break things off? There was nothing to break off. She just...didn't _start_ things."

Lando quirked his head. "What do you mean there was nothing to break off? Could have fooled me."

"Yeah, well. There wasn't. And now there isn't. And I thought there was going to be, and she just..she ran away."

Lando gently put a hand to Finn's shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. And something about the gesture made Finn want to keep talking. "And the thing is, I _know_ she feels something. She said as much. And it's been this way for years now, I realize. But when it comes down to it, she keeps running. So which is it, Lando? Are we a collection of our feelings or our choices? Because one version of Rey wants this. But the other version keeps choosing otherwise."

"I'm a firm believer that our choices reflect our feelings, Finn," he said surely. "So if you're confident in her feelings for you—and I am too, by the way—then I think the real question is what else is she feeling? And is she worth it for you to help her through those feelings and wait them out, if necessary."

"Yes," Finn said without hesitation. And then he thought about the question a little longer. Rey was kind. Rey was brave. Rey was beautiful and brilliant. She cared more about others than herself. She knew Finn's fears, his insecurities and how to succor him. She knew his strengths and potential better than he did and pushed him to be his best self. Her smile made him forget where he was. Her laugh made him remember. She was also quick to anger and slow to trust. She held even those closest to her at arm's length except in the rare instance when she let her guard down. She was driven, sometimes to a fault. And try as they might, Finn and Rey were always leaving one another for a bigger cause.

But they always came back.

He loved every bit of her, and wanted to spend his life showing her.

"Yes. She is worth it."

Lando smiled. "Then it will all work out."

 

Poe Dameron was not having a good day.

Well, by many measures, he was having the best day he had had in months. Maybe even years. For the first time since Starkiller blew up, Poe saw a light on the horizon. If things went well, if Finn was right about the Troopers, if the Force was with them, there was hope for the galaxy and for the fight.

But currently, that hope was being drowned by thousands of tasks and dozens of fears and insecurities screaming from deep inside him. His foot bounced up and down quickly under his desk as Poe ran his hand though his hair and studied the datapad in front of him. He had over three thousand new recruits to learn about. He had to understand their skills, their systems of leadership, their potential and somehow get them ready to fight with the Resistance. The same Resistance that they had been fighting for years. The same Resistance that was the topic of most of their propaganda. The same Resistance that had killed thousands of their brothers and sisters in war.

Finn had delivered a hell of a speech, but one speech does not undo a lifetime of cultivated biases and brainwashing. And Poe was having a hard time deciding how to merge his army with the largest batch of recruits the Resistance had ever seen.

Poe stood up from his desk, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He had only gotten a couple hours of sleep before getting back to work. He had wanted to be prepared for this morning when he met with the dozens of low-level Trooper leaders that had not been a part of the initial attack of the Palace on Lenspero. That meant giving up precious sleep hours, though Poe had to admit his sleep would have been fitful anyway. It had been many years since Poe had slept well.

The war had taken its toll on the ace pilot. All of his heroics and missions had culminated with Starkiller. He was on top of the galaxy after destroying the planet, avenging the billions who perished by the great super weapon. Poe had thought he was invincible. And then the First Order attacked before the Resistance had time to get away.

Poe shook his head rapidly, hoping to keep the memories and feelings of what followed at bay. He walked from his makeshift office and headed down the hall. But the memories followed him. And the sinking feeling in his stomach wasn't far behind.

Thousands of Resistance had died. And it had been his fault. _He'd_ lost half their fleet to take down a Dreadnaught. _He'd_ sent Finn and Rose on a suicide mission that revealed the Resistance's whereabouts. _He'd_ usurped the Vice Admiral who had had a solid plan all along. Poe had thousands of voices crying from their starry graves, wondering why Leia had chosen _him_ to replace her and lead the Resistance.

Poe didn't blame the dead for their thoughts. He had them himself. He'd turned down Leia immediately upon her request. She was quick to reassure him. He'd learned whatever lessons he needed to. It was her own fault that she hadn't recalled the fleet when he'd disobeyed her order. It was Holdo's fault for not being forthcoming with her plans, as the Resistance had always done. It was the First Order's fault that the lives were lost that day.

Poe heard her words, but the pit in his stomach had merely grown larger. He'd accepted the position because he respected General Leia too much to turn her down. And he'd done a pretty good job so far. But pretty good wasn't going to destroy the First Order. And most of his major successes could be attributed to those he surrounded himself with. Much like Finn had done for this planet.

Poe took a deep breath when he reached his destination down the hall and he knocked on an office door. "Come in," came a soft voice inside.

Poe entered an office, not dissimilar to the one he had claimed. In fact, it was nearly identical, save for an extra chair that had been brought in. Before him sat the King and Queen, Finn's parents.

"General," the Queen spoke kindly, smiling gently at Poe as he stepped inside the office. "I hope you had a good night's rest."

Poe chuckled, and the Queen smiled knowingly at him. "I slept as well as can be expected. But I did get some work done. How about you?"

"No sleep, really," replied Finn's father. "Considering 25 percent of our captors will now be working for us, and most of the others will be defending us, it's been a bit of a headache trying to work out how to train them and keep them fed and housed."

The Queen smiled tiredly at her husband. "But these are much better problems to have than the past 25 years."

He returned her smile and nodded. "And it's wonderful to be able to help Samuel out in this way, even if he's not here right now."

Poe let out a short laugh, and the royalty turned surprised eyes to him. "When Finn finds himself a purpose and a plan, no one can stop him. Only Finn would meet his long lost family, fall in love with them immediately, and then leave within hours because there's a higher calling."

Finn's mother smiled sadly. "I imagine he would have made a wonderful king."

Poe understood the meaning behind her words. She had no grand delusions of Finn returning home, changing his name back to Samuel, and taking his rightful place as Crown Prince. In the short time they had interacted, the wise queen understood who her son was. She may continue calling him Samuel. But she knew he was Finn now. And if the way she reached out and squeezed her husband's hand was any indicator, she was proud of Finn.

"There's no doubt," Poe said easily. "And lucky for us, he makes a hell of a Commander. He is personally responsible for more of the Resistance's successes than just about the rest of the Resistance combined. He—"

Poe's compliments were cut short by an urgent call on his comm unit. Rose's voice sounded scared. "Poe, there's an incoming First Order ship—it has given proper clearance codes and is approaching the base quickly. Traffic control is wondering what to do about them."

"I'll be right there!" Poe shouted into his receiver and gave a hurried goodbye to the Spero's. They nodded back at him, eyes wide.

Poe hurtled down the hallway, hoping he remembered the way to the control room. Between the extensive study of the base for Finn's infiltration and his brief walkthrough last night, Poe managed to get there quickly. Inside, Rose was watching a monitor of a ship landing. A pair of former First Order technicians sat at her side, sweat on their brows, fear in their eyes.

"Should we blow it up?" Rose asked.

"Are our turrets being manned?" Poe asked the room. No one knew the answer. This was all happening too fast. Poe hadn't had time to hand out orders or restructure the base. He was only getting to know how the First Order previously did things and who among this base's operators had switched sides. To say nothing of verifying the First Order defectors' deeper allegiances or state of mind attacking their former comrades.

Poe gripped his comm again and hailed the sergeant who had approached Finn and him yesterday. Formerly RM-9890, Sergeant Tara Fendor had returned to Poe last night to pledge her allegiance to the Resistance. Many other Troopers had done the same, but she had spoken with her squad at length, and decided that they wanted to fight back against the First Order. The First Order had taken their names from them, and the Resistance gave it back. Taken, was their freedom, and the Resistance gave it back. And now, they had decided to give back to the Resistance, and take from the First Order. Poe trusted her squad as much as he could trust any of the new recruits.

"General?" came Tara's voice on the other end.

"Sergeant," Poe nearly shouted into the comm. "Get your squad ready. A First Order ship just landed with unknown occupants. Our turrets aren't manned, so we need to be ready when they enter the base and realize it's filled with Resistance."

"Yes, sir," she responded. "They'll be entering from the south. We'll barricade behind them once they've entered."

"Good plan," Poe said, watching the monitors closely. Only two passengers emerged from the ship. However, Poe's blood ran cold at the sight of them.

"Negative," he audibled. "It appears to be two Knights of Ren. I can't put your squad between them and their exit."

Silence followed for a long moment. "With all due respect, General, but it's the best course of action. We need to block them in." In the background, Poe could hear her unit getting geared up and ready.

"If these two are anything like the Supreme Leader," Poe started, shuddering at the thought and the memories it provoked. "I can't let you do that."

"And I can't let you sacrifice a good strategy because you're scared of offending the Troopers."

"That's not what this is about!" Poe shouted back. If the matter wasn't so urgent, he would be rather proud of this Sergeant for speaking up and not blindly following orders. He may wonder in the future whether this action is because Finn had gotten through to them and awakened some sense of autonomy, or whether her years of conditioning against the Resistance simply made it easier to refute its leadership.

Regardless, in this moment he really wished she would just listen to him. "We're blockading the exit," she said definitively. "Hopefully we can surprise them."

Then the comm went silent, and Poe was forced to accept that she was willingly putting her squad in danger. He motioned for Rose to follow him and rushed down the hallway. He entered the mess area and found dozens of soldiers eating breakfast. They didn't wear their helmets anymore, but they still had on the white armor of his enemy.

"Resistance," he called, voice warbling even to his own ears. How could he ask this of them? "We have a couple visitors from the First Order, and we need to make sure they can't get a report of what has happened here back to their bosses. It is a pair of Knights."

To their credit, the former Stormtroopers stood immediately and rushed to formation. Damn it if he wasn't sickened and relieved at their training at the same time. "Alright...follow me."

They moved towards the south entrance. The Knights would enter the base from the landing dock and head toward the officer bay. Poe wasn't sure if they would make it that far before they realized something was amiss, so he hoped to head them off and catch them unawares.

The march of his new recruits was unavoidably loud, unfortunately, so Poe wasn't surprised to find the Knights looking up at them when they met at a corridor junction. However, the Knights _were_ surprised to find a haphazardly assembled helmet-less platoon open fire on them immediately.

The Knights were dressed in dark robes, but like the Troopers, they had no helmets on. It appeared when Kylo Ren took off his mask in his ascension to the throne, a new dress code was implemented. It made the Knights less terrifying from the perspective of a child having nightmares. But to Poe, they were all the more terrifying. How could humans be capable of such pain and suffering and evil?

Blaster fire hurled by Poe as he opened fire himself in front of the company. The Knights were quick to react, lifting their hands and deflecting blaster fire to the sides. One blast hit a Knight on the leg, and it seemed to dawn on everyone at once that the amount of assailants were too much for the Knights to handle. Pulling out their lightsabers, they deflected as much fire as possible, and the return blasts—as inaccurately as they were aimed—did require a little bit more caution from the Resistance.

The Knights backed up slowly, the one limping as she did so. Together, they extended their hands and Poe felt himself and a few other Troopers fly backwards through the air. He landed painfully on his back before quickly getting back to his feet and unleashing fire at the retreating Knights. He clipped the other one in the back, and he faltered to his knees.

"Get back to Curoscant!" he shouted at his fellow Knight, before turning back to Poe and the Resistance. He acted as shield for the retreating Knight, blocking the blasts the best he could.

Poe thought of the squad who was blockading the escape path of the Knight. How many of them were there? Did she get all eight ready in time? Were there only a few? Poe rushed forward, the other soldiers on his heels. Under their combined fire, the injured Knight couldn't protect himself, and a pair of blasts snuck by his defense and he fell to his back. Poe continued rushing forward after the Knight who just turned the corner.

When he turned the corner a moment later, his heart sunk. Four of Tara's squad lay on the ground, not moving. Two more chased after the Knight into the landing bay, but they couldn't catch her. Poe rushed forward, sliding to his knees in front of Tara, who had a brutal saber slash across her stomach. One hand slid under her head to prop her up slightly, while the other peeled back some charred armor to reveal the damage done.

"I'm sorry, General," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "We couldn't stop her."

"No, no, no," Poe said, assessing the damage and knowing she had only seconds. The cut was too deep. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to find your family. I never should have—"

"General," she interrupted, and Poe silenced. White-armored bodies rushed by the pair as they chased after the remaining Knight. But Poe looked only at the First Order Sergeant who gave her life for the Resistance. "I made a choice for the first time in my life. I did something _I_ wanted to do. You don't know how wonderful that was. Don't take my choice from me by telling me what _should_ or _could_ have been."

Poe nodded, and tears came to his eyes. His chest clinched at her words apropos of his own state for the last three years. He took a deep breath before making a promise to this woman he just met, but already respected endlessly. "Your bravely will be remembered. I will find your family and tell them what happened in the end."

She nodded. Her breathing was erratic, but she managed to say, "Tell the other Troopers, too. They're the only family I've ever known."

And she died in his arms. He looked up to find the Knight's ship taking off into the air. Blaster fire raged after it, but could not penetrate the shields. The Knight would return to Curoscant and deliver the news. An armada would be headed this way. Poe clinched his fist before looking back down at the Sergeant, her words echoing in his mind.

It wasn't a time for should haves and could haves. It was a time for choices, and he was the General.

It was time to fight.

 

Rey had wandered for hours, following a feeling in the air. Like a ghost or a memory, a shade of the past. It led her from the station where the Jedi had taken residence. From Finn. Desperate to escape the impossible situation behind her, she took a shuttle to the main mining station, the oldest of Cloud City. She felt the history here, and instinctively knew where Luke Skywalker had landed his X-Wing when he arrived to save his friends.

She felt his panic in that moment. Chasing a vision of pain and torture of his friends. She hurried through the corridors as he had decades earlier. She heard a shout from a younger Leia, "Luke!" A warning of a trap. She knew it was too late. Han wasn't here anymore. He'd been taken, his body frozen and stolen from them.

Rey continued wandering, unsure where her life started and Luke's ended. The Force was so sparse on this planet, except right here. A brief moment in time immortalized for Rey to feel. To escape in.

He fought Vader, and Rey felt the determination, the anger, the fear. Rey stumbled through the underground of the mining facility, moving from side to side as if _she_ were the one dodging the swing of his saber or the debris he flung with the Force.

And then she was here, clenching tightly to the railing of the ledge overhanging the great chasm. And she heard the words, clear as day. "No. _I_ am your father." And she felt the absolute horror of Luke. The denial, the confusion, the anger. But above all else, soul-crushing devastation. That's impossible, he shouted. And Rey shouted it, too, but for completely different reasons.

"Hello Rey," came a familiar and calming voice, shocking Rey out of her trance of the past. She found herself on her knees, clinging to the railing, tears on her cheeks. The Force washed over her, bringing her back to the here and now. With it came her incompatible feelings for Finn, and she wanted to escape back into the Force. She did the next best thing, and turned to the man who called out to her.

"Luke," Rey breathed, looking up to his Force apparition, standing just where Vader had stood when he offered Luke the galaxy. Rey climbed to her feet unsteadily.

"Why have you come here?" the old Jedi asked her. His eyes were sad, almost disapproving. The blue and ethereal glow of his person made Rey uneasy. Just as it had been each time he had visited her in the past.

"I should ask you the same thing. This can't be a pleasant place for you."

Luke turned from her and looked over the balcony. "You know I jumped when my father asked me to join him."

Rey frowned and looked over the edge with him. "How did you not die? Why would you do that?"

"I'd just been told my father was the most vicious and evil man in the galaxy, and I wanted no part of it. I expected to die," Luke said with resignation. "I hoped I wouldn't. But death would be preferable to becoming like him. Like my father."

Rey shuddered. Her relationship with Luke was much better now than the last time they saw each other in the flesh. He had been understandably terrified of her association with Kylo Ren in her hut, and she had been understandably infuriated with his lack of care for the galaxy's well-being. The first time he had appeared to her as an apparition in the Force, he'd apologized immediately. He took full responsibility for her seeking out some form of connection with Kylo Ren. Had he been open to the Force, he'd explained, he would have sensed the corruption that the Darkness of Kylo Ren had been filling her mind with. The Darkness seeped through their link and muddled her thoughts, her decisions.

It had taken some time, some explanation, and a long talk with Leia, but ultimately Rey forgave him. What Rey mistook for apathy was truly guilt. Luke never stopped caring about the galaxy—he just blamed himself for its state. Of course, that didn't excuse his inaction on Ach-To. But when he had offered his assistance in the following years, Rey didn't shun him for his past mistakes. He still had a lot to teach her, and his being dead somehow made it easier to accept that help.

And to hear him speak of his father somehow made her own life more amenable.

"I've always wanted to know who my parents are and why they abandoned me," Rey said sadly, still looking over the ledge. "I guess I should be careful what I wish for."

Luke laughed out loud darkly, then turned to Rey and spoke right into her soul. "Yes, Rey, take it from me: the family you choose will always be more important than blood."

Rey frowned and turned to the older, dead, man. She wondered idly why he appeared to her in the form she met him as. Why not the young, heroic Luke? "But you chose Vader, ultimately."

"No," Luke replied with a shake of his head and pursed lips. "I grew up on stories of Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars, a kind and generous soul. Selfless and good. I chose him, and was fortunate enough that he was still hidden inside Vader."

Rey shook her head. "So why did you give up on Kylo Ren?" Rey knew why _she_ had given up on the rat, but wondered how the man who had seen Anakin in Vader couldn't see Ben Solo in Kylo Ren.

Luke let out a sigh. "Do you know why Anakin turned to the Dark Side?"

"He was tempted by the Emperor," Rey answered.

"He wanted to save his wife and unborn child," Luke clarified. "Or, children, more accurately. And yes, he was tempted by the Emperor and believed the Dark Side could do it. But as is always the case..."

"The Dark Side leads only to death and pain," Rey finished, well aware based on the bodies left in Kylo Ren's wake.

"And do you know why Ben Solo turned to the Dark Side?" Luke prompted.

"Desire for power?" Rey asked. She'd wondered this many times. "A need to elevate himself above his famous and heroic parents? The glorification of his grandfather?"

Luke nodded. "Yes, to all of those things. But most dangerous of all, he believed he deserved it. By virtue of his name and blood. While the Emperor convinced Anakin to turn on the Jedi by twisting his perception of them and promising to save his wife, Snoke convinced Ben to join him by promising the galaxy. I'll never forgive myself for giving him the final justification to turn, but he was gone long before I ignited my lightsaber to strike him down."

They stood in silence for some time before Luke reached an arm around her back and squeezed her shoulder. "Rey, you didn't come here to talk about my family and our failures. What are you avoiding?"

"How much do you see, Luke?" Rey asked. She fought the urge to shrug his hand off her shoulder. It felt nice there. Comforting and reassuring. A gesture she'd never really received. And for that very reason she almost didn't want it. "After you've become one with the Force, do you know everything that's going on?"

"If you're wondering if I just follow you around and wait for the perfect time to share sage wisdom with you, the answer is no. In truth, I can't explain what being one with the Force is like. So I won't try. Suffice it to say, I know when and where I'm needed, but I'm not omniscient."

Rey clenched the railing, knuckles turning white. She took a breath before speaking, glancing over at the former Jedi Master. "And it's just like the Force to decide that I need a visit from you."

Luke's eyebrows knit together and he studied her for a long time. "Rey, why are you here?" he asked for the third time. He was pressing her, and it made her want to retreat. But when she stared at him, and the blue glow of his eyes looked back, Rey had to withhold a laugh. The man was dead. She might as well be talking to a rock, or meditating and sharing her thoughts with only herself and the Force.

"I don't know," Rey sighed. "I mean, I know why. But I don't know the why of the why."

The corners of Luke's lips twitched before he patiently interjected. "Let's start with the why, then, and work towards the why of the why."

"I ran away from Finn when we were about to kiss," Rey said quickly before her embarrassment and inherent need to deal with her problems on her own took over. She groaned. "Literally. I literally ran. And now I don't how I'm going to face him. But I need to face him, because he needs me for a mission, and I need him for..."

She trailed off, and Luke gave her the time to finish her thought. But she was already done. She needed him. Not for anything specifically. She just needed Finn.

"So you don't know why you ran?" Luke finally prompted after nearly a minute of silence in which Rey wanted to run away again, this time out of embarrassment. "Do you not like Finn that way?"

"I very much like Finn that way," Rey admitted, and she rolled forward and backward on the balls of her feet, looking over the railing with each rock. "I ran...because...I don't know. You said Vader turned because of his attachment, right?"

Luke frowned at her, and his eyes flashed with anger. "Anakin Skywalker didn't turn because he loved someone. He turned because he thought his wife's life was more important than the galaxy's. Perhaps romantic on its face, but evil in its practice. He thought giving up his soul was worth saving her life. He was scared and he was selfish."

Rey silenced, unsure of how to respond. She turned in her spot and leaned her back against the railing.

"Rey," Luke continued, voice much softer. "You've searched those Jedi texts. There's no mention of abstaining from attachment. That was a practice adopted by the Jedi over the centuries because of a few bad apples like Vader. But rather than discourage attachment, I had hoped to teach real love to my Jedi learners. So tell me about Finn."

Rey felt a smile come to her face. "He came back for me." She caught Luke's inquisitive gaze and elaborated. "Finn deserted the First Order, and was running when I met him. I wanted to help the Resistance, and Finn understandably just wanted to get away from the fighting he'd been abducted into. He told me he was never going back.

"And then he went back. For me."

"Do you know why?" Luke prompted, and Rey was surprised to hear his voice thick with emotion.

She shook her head no. She wrung her hands as if trying to sooth aching joints. No one had ever come back for her; how could she know why someone ever would?

"Why did you run from him today, Rey?" Luke asked again, and this time, caught up in the confessional, Rey answered.

"Because I need him too much."

"And you're worried you'll lose him," Luke said for her, recognition lighting his eyes. Rey knew it was true, too.

"Finn is the most important person in my life," Rey said quietly, now stilling her anxious movements. "And every time I've hoped for more out of someone, they've left me. I hoped my parents would come back for me, and they never did. I hoped Han would be like a father to me, and he died. I hoped you would take that role, and you...well, you didn't and then you died. I even let Kylo _fucking_ Ren convince me that there was someone else out there who understood the power in me. I even hoped he could be Ben Solo again, just so I didn't have to deal with the Force alone, or the responsibility that came with it. And we all know how that worked out."

Luke's eyes drooped with guilt and sadness. "I'm so sorry I wasn't that person for you, Rey. That I forced you to look elsewhere."

Rey shook her head. They'd already had this conversation several times. Luke always trying to protect Rey from her naive actions and take all the blame, Rey always trying to help ease his conscience in his death. "That's not the point. The point is that everyone I've let myself hope would be more has let me down in some way or another. Leia and Finn have been steady presences in my life, and it's because I've refused to look at Leia as a mother, and Finn as more than a friend. I have to because I can't keep doing that to myself or to them."

"No." It was Luke's turn to face the great chasm of Cloud City's underbelly. His voice was quiet. So quiet that Rey was forced to lean in so she could hear him. "You can't keep doing _this_ to yourself."

Rey frowned, but didn't interrupt. "Take it from someone who did run. Who let fear dictate his actions. Who let the people he cared about down because I convinced myself it would be better for _them_. Please learn from my failures so that I can believe they had meaning."

Rey smiled sadly at the man. "You know you had many successes, too, Luke. You saved the galaxy after all."

"And yet this feels more important right now," Luke said meaningfully. "I'm not here to force you to go tell Finn how you feel. But I will haunt you for the rest of your days if you don't let that man be what the rest of us have failed to be. You don't need a father figure, you don't need someone who understands the Force in you. You need someone who won't let you down, and it sounds like he's been here all along, and you're the one who hasn't let him in."

And here, on the planet with little life. Where the Force resided only in the sparse matter of gaseous molecules of Bespin. Where Rey had to reach out with great effort just to call on the mystical power for the simplest of acts. Here, the Force swelled around her and buoyed her up like it seldom had. Truth was spoken, and truth was heard.

Rey let out a long breath she hadn't known she was holding and stepped forward into a tight hug with Luke. He was solid, as if the Jedi Master was truly alive and well. He held her tightly in the fatherly embrace she had craved for so much of her life. And it was nice.

But she knew Luke was right. She didn't need a father, ghostly apparation or real. She didn't need a last name that gave her meaning. And she didn't need this hug, either. It only made her realize who she _wasn't_ hugging. So she pulled back and smiled at the Jedi Master, who returned the smile kindly.

"Thanks, Luke," she said, and took a deep breath. She had but one lingering doubt. One last fear. "I need to go find out why Finn came back for me."

Luke nodded sagely, a soft smile playing at his lips. "I think that's a great idea, Rey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to everyotherfreckle for the very necessary help with this chapter and Rey and Luke's interactions. Hope y'all enjoyed it!


	11. Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Finnrey Friday!!

Kylo had received a partial report while his Knight was inbound. He was not at all pleased, and was doing his best to prepare his emotional state before Hux and the Knight arrived.

He stood back in his throne room, at the window serving as an outlook to the great and immense city-planet of Curoscant. Part of him wanted to take the elevator to the roof, get in his ship, and take off for Lenspero. He would solve the problem himself, and take great satisfaction in subduing a planet.

But he had a sick feeling—the Force was trying to tell him something. He couldn't discern what it was exactly, but it gathered tightly around him in warning.

His doors opened behind him, and he sensed Hux enter the room, Naz a couple steps behind him.

"Supreme Leader," Hux began in his usual, tight manner. "You have news from Lenspero?"

"Knight Sella will be arriving shortly," Kylo barked, still not turning from his window. And in a display of power, he didn't turn or address Hux for several minutes as they waited. More than once, Hux tried to initiate conversation. And each time, Kylo would simply ignore him as he looked out on his kingdom.

Eventually, Sella did arrive. She walked through the doors limping, a blaster wound to her leg only haphazardly attended to. Likely by herself on the return flight from Lenspero. Finally, Kylo turned to his subjects.

"Report, Knight," he ordered.

"Lenspero has been taken by the Resistance, sir," she began.

Immediately and expectedly, Hux interrupted her report with a question that would likely have been answered in her report. "What? How could they take Lenspero? It is one of our more occupied systems!"

Sella looked over at the general, eyes flashing with annoyance. "I'm not sure how it was taken," she said. "Chon and I were attacked the minute we stepped foot in the base by Resistance. And...by troopers."

Silence hung in the air, her words shocking enough to quiet even Hux. That sickening feeling Kylo had felt earlier intensified. "FN-2187," he whispered.

Hux swiveled his head to his Supreme Leader. "The defected trooper?" he pressed. "They hate him! How could _he_ turn them?"

"Why do they hate him?" Kylo asked, throat tight.

"We've branded him a traitor, a coward, and a tyrant!" Hux looked proud of himself for this accomplishment.

"No," Kylo said, turning to the general and reaching out his hand. Hux's eyes widened as he dropped to his knees. He clutched at his chest, where Kylo squeezed him until blood came out of his nose. Then, he released him only slightly to ensure his General could carry out his orders. "You have taught the troopers who he is, so they were curious enough to listen to him."

Kylo turned to Naz. "Knight, what are your opinions of the scum 2187?"

"He is a traitor and—"

"Enough!" Kylo shouted at his most loyal Knight. "I don't want to hear flattery, I want truth."

There was silence for a moment before Naz spoke up, voice even and measured. "Before I was taken in by the Knights, I was intrigued by him. I had never even thought to escape before. It had never entered my mind. Until I was told about him. And then I wondered. Fortunately, you soon found me and gave me a better option."

Kylo nodded, furious at Hux. And furious at himself for not finishing the job on Starkiller three years ago.

He released Hux completely and the man fell forward onto his hands and breathed deeply for several tense seconds. He wiped his nose, then, and stood up with as much dignity as he could.

"What's done is done," he said angrily. "Supreme Leader, we need to snuff out this uprising before it spreads."

"Send everyone," Kylo responded, his temper back under control. "I want everyone on that planet dead."

"Sir, that planet has provided our forces with food for over twenty years, we can't ju—"

"Send everyone!" Kylo shouted again and lifted a hand in warning.

Fear flashed through Hux's eyes before he glanced over at Naz, a question in his eyes. Kylo bit back a scoff. Sure, Naz may be Hux's body guard, but he wouldn't stop his Master from killing the sniveling general.

"We have the galaxy," Kylo continued, voice shaking but quiet now. "We can find food elsewhere. What we need is to remove the cancer from our ranks. We need to set an example of the Resistance. And we need to pull the Jedi out of hiding. This task will accomplish all three."

"We will be leaving countless rebellious systems unchecked," Hux argued, though without much vigor.

"And when they witness what happens to rebels, they'll think twice about it," Kylo said with finality. Then a thought occurred to him.

Kylo turned to Naz. "Send the old guard. They will take great pleasure in wiping out a second generation of Jedi. The new Knights will remain where they are for Hux's sake. A final line of defense should rebellions rise up while we tamp them down for good."

Truthfully, Kylo didn't trust the former trooper Knights. Naz's thoughts on FN-2187 terrified him. If some of the other new Knights had similar thoughts, he couldn't risk them getting in the same room with the Resistance scum. The last thing he needed was to have his own Knights turned against him.

In fact, if this truly was the end of the Resistance and Jedi as he believed it would be, it would be nice to trim his Force-sensitive army by a few. Maybe the Resistance would even help him out there.

 

The distant hum of passing ships and mining machinery sounded in Finn's room. But it was not the cause of his insomnia. Shadows danced along the far wall, the light from Bespin's moons managing to get through his window and curtain. But it was not the cause of his insomnia. The temperature felt hot and cold all at once, and an odd humidness kept him tossing and turning. But it was not the cause of his insomnia.

A knock at the door then. And he sensed her, with his newfound, yet burgeoning connection to the Force. He wondered how her presence alone hadn't awakening his sensitivity to the Force years ago. She was brilliant, and warm, and terrifying, and everything he ever wanted to feel.

And the cause of his insomnia.

Finn rolled out of his bed, turned on a lamp, and stumbled to his door. He swung it open, and there she was.

Rey was still wearing the same clothes she'd been wearing hours ago during their rooftop spar. Her hair was still in its buns, though had come loose in places during their fight. He recalled wanting to loosen it all and run his hands through it. Her mouth was still beautiful and enticing. But her hands were fidgeting, and her eyes...her eyes were different, and he didn't know how, yet.

But they weren't looking at his own eyes, and that's when Finn realized he didn't have a shirt on—her eyes scanned his chest, her cheeks flushed adorably pink. Sleeping without a shirt had been his only option since waking up in that bacta suit. It may have healed him, but he would forever deal with some discomfort and pain. He found it to be reduced by ditching the shirt for his sleep.

"Sorry," Finn said, though he said it for her sake. Growing up among thousands of fellow soldiers, he'd never had the privacy to learn modesty. Finn turned back into his room to find a shirt, but he hadn't taken two steps before he felt her hand on his back.

He stopped dead in his tracks, paralyzed by her skin on his. This was no hand hold, or even a common embrace. This skin hadn't been touched by her before. She ran her calloused fingers gently up his scar. He knew the skin felt different there—almost rubbery in its texture, protruding slightly from the curve of his back. But to Finn, right now, it felt on fire, so electric was her touch. He stopped breathing for a moment as her fingers reached the top of the scar, and then began the journey back down. She had stepped close, and Finn swore he could feel her hurried breath on his shoulder and neck.

"Finn," she whispered shakily. "You could have died. Why...why did you go back?"

Finn stayed silent for a moment, both reveling in her touch and fighting off flashbacks of Kylo Ren's saber tearing him in half. But the nightmare won out, and he remembered the worst of it. The crossguard in his shoulder, the fear of facing down a monster, the abject terror of losing Rey. He remembered the hopelessness that swept through him as she fell from the tree that Kylo Ren had thrown her into. Rushing to her side, crying out for her to _please_ be okay.

But he also remembered her in his embrace. "We came back for you," Finn had said, and she threw herself into his arms. With a little encouragement from Chewy, of course. And he remembered the determination he felt not only to return to her, but to make that evil man pay for what he'd done to her.

Now, her hands stilled, so Finn turned around to face her. "He took you," Finn said. And he honestly thought it answered her question. Of course he'd go back for her.

"Would you have gone back for anyone?" she asked tentatively. Her eyes found the scar on his shoulder, now, so she set about touching him there, too. Finn felt his breath quicken, and he watched her hand carefully while she studied the evidence of his battle.

"Anyone who made me feel the way you did," Finn answered honestly, because how was he supposed to think of any lie or half-truth when she was making him feel like this?

Her hand froze, her thumb stilled right over the thickest portion of his scar. "How did I make you feel?"

Finn sighed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to gather his thoughts. "Rey, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep opening myself up if you're just going to run away again."

Rey's hand retreated from his chest like she'd been burned. Fear flashed in her eyes before it was quickly replaced with a resolve of some sort.

"I know," she said, quiet but sure. "And I know I've been really unfair to you, and I'm sorry. I've been scared, and that fear might end up causing the thing I've been afraid of from the beginning. And I hate to ask it of you one more time, but I just don't understand why you came back for me. When no one else ever has."

Finn didn't quite understand what was going on in her head, but he felt her sincerity. He felt the desire to overcome this fear of hers. So he reached out to catch her hand in his, and pinned it to his chest again, but this time over his heart instead of his scar. He studied her face for a long moment. Her earnestness remained, as did a hope that he could not deny.

 "I grew up with countless cadets, constantly being put into classes and then squads with them. We studied together, ate together, exercised together, drilled together. Our simulations were often done as a team, a unit. In twenty years, I never came close to the bond and connection you and I shared when we escaped Jakku together. In just one day together."

Rey's eyes glistened in the dim lighting from his lamp and the moons shining through the window. But she kept her thoughts to herself, so Finn kept talking. "The excitement you had for my success, and that I had for yours! It was...incredible. I couldn't believe how amazing a flyer you were, and somehow you were amazed by me, too. And you asked my name—and I had just been given it. You were the first person I ever introduced myself to as Finn. And in that moment, you knew me better than anyone ever had."

Finn squeezed her hand. "You were this amazing, beautiful, fierce desert girl who just...connected with me. You saw _me_. You looked at me like I was human, like I mattered. Not some replaceable number or a suit of armor. And even after I told  you who I really was, nothing changed in your eyes. You didn't care that I was a defecting Stormtrooper, because I was Finn to you. I was still Finn."

Even in the three years since then, no one had heard of Finn's past and not batted an eye. Rose, whom he cared for deeply as a friend, could never get over his past. Ever resistance member looked at him with respect and awe that he'd defected, but they still saw a Stormtrooper—if a defected one. Rey heard the news of his past, and begged him to stay like he'd told her he like podracing.

Rey nodded at his words now, too, and Finn was emboldened to finish his thoughts. "And then I saw him across the battlefield, taking you to his ship. I knew what happened to his captives. I knew the pain and misery he'd cause. And there was no way in hell I would allow that to happen to you, Rey. Not to my Rey. I had to go back for you. And I always will."

A ship flew by outside Finn's quarters. The whole room seemed to vibrate for a second, and the lamp flickered. But Rey's tear-filled eyes never left Finn's. She reached her other hand up to his opposite shoulder and held him, as if caught between a hug and a fear of him running.

"I don't..." she started and faltered. "I don't understand _why_. I was just some scavenger from a planet you called trash. I have no family. I have no last name. You're a _Prince_ now, Finn! How can you say you'll always come back?"

And though she hadn't told him directly, Finn understood why she ran, now. Somewhere deep inside him, it clicked, and his heart swelled with sympathy for this wonderful woman who had been abandoned, who somehow thought herself nothing despite being _everything_.

"You have a family, Rey," he said meaningfully and pulled her hand to his lips, kissing each finger individually. The tears in her eyes finally spilled out. Finn lifted his other hand to brush the tears gently from her cheeks. She moved her fingers from his mouth and cupped his cheek softly. He leaned into the touch, eyes not leaving hers.

It was strange, Finn realized, how different the mood was from their rooftop engagement hours before, or even just a moment ago when she'd run her hand up his back. Despite being in a state of undress, their touches did not hold the electricity that they did before. The warmth of her hand on his face was not heated and sensual. It was muted and comforting. The look in her eyes was not hungry, but hopeful.

"I'm scared, Finn. I'm scared it will always be the same for me. That it won't work out for some reason and I'll lose the one friend that has always been there for me. Or that you'll realize you can find a princess and rule a planet, and not deal with the Jedi whose calling is far bigger than her station. Or that this kind of happiness isn't a part of the destiny that is so clearly already written—"

In the three years Finn had known Rey, she had never been so completely open. She had never said exactly what she was feeling or thinking. He had learned how to read her in that time. How to offer a support that would help her and still respect her privacy. Occasionally, he could even prompt her to share a piece of herself.

So it was all the more frustrating and aggravating when BB-8 rolled in to his room to interrupt her, beeping frantically about a galactic message from Kylo Ren. Finn could help but roll his eyes. Of _course_ it was that bastard who would interrupt Rey and keep her from opening up to him.

BB-8 stopped its urgent message momentarily when it rolled into the room, its head rotating quickly between Finn and Rey, who still stood close together, Rey almost enveloped in an embrace against Finn's naked torso. The droid started to ask if it was interrupting something when it decided its message was more important than understanding what was happening here.

Finn understood well enough what those beeps and squeals from BB-8 meant, though. Lenspero was in trouble. And then a nightmarish holo appeared before them.

 

Poe stared at the holo in front of him, sickened by the face that addressed the galaxy. The Supreme Leader. Poe remembered when the man was masked, ashamed of his origins. Using his power to rip through Poe's mind and find the path to Luke.

Now, on his throne, he was a conqueror. Unafraid of his past, to show his scarred face to the galaxy that was forced to call him their leader.

"The Jedi religion has been outlawed for over two years," the Supreme Leader said in a galactic broadcast. "It has proven to be the destroyed of galactic order twice in as many generations, and I wish to prevent a third. If the Jedi do not turn themselves in, the blood of whole planets will be on their heads. We know of many systems that have sheltered and hidden the Jedi, and we will start there.

"The galaxy will suffer with a resurgence of the lost Jedi Order. I will not allow my people to come to such harm. Instead, we will banish this plague and usher in an era of order and peace that has never before been known."

The broadcast played on a loop for all to see. It had been three years since Poe had felt this level of conviction. Just a day ago, he may have thought it was time to evacuate Lenspero and live to fight another day. But seeing Sergeant Tara die in his arms gave him a new lease on life and war.

He had always believed in the cause. But he had lost sight of his _people's_ belief in the cause. In his attempts to save them, he had been taking them away from the very thing they had joined to fight against. Even when there was a solid plan, or the odds were in the Resistance's favor, Poe had hesitated and sometimes withdrawn from battle to protect his band of rebels.

Looking back now, it had usually taken a determined Finn to keep them in any battle, succeed in any mission. Poe supposed they had worked well together—always providing two opposing viewpoints and being able to settle on the right course of action.

But Finn wasn't here now, and a decision needed to be made.

Poe switched off the repeating threat of Kylo Ren. It took some effort, considering the First Order had installed certain holo pads throughout their Empire to switch and stick automatically when they broadcast from their station on Curoscant. Naturally, the pad inside the First Order station that Poe had commandeered was one such pad. But Poe managed to switch it off on his panel, and he angled the broadcast frequencies for a message of his own.

Over the last three years, the First Order had gained many new enemies as it swept through the galaxy, taking system after system into its new regime. If Poe was right, Kylo Ren would be sending many of its forces to Lenspero to stifle their uprising. On the one hand, this meant a massive military was inbound that the Resistance and turned trooper army couldn't combat. On the other hand...

"Calling all Resistance sympathizers," Poe called out into the galaxy, frequencies hailing those same sympathizers that they'd met over the years. "Your patronage and assistance through the years has been vital to our survival and victories against the First Order. However, we now ask that you do more. The _Supreme_ Leader has announced his intent to wipe out anyone who stands in his way. It may start with us, on the planet Lenspero, but no one is safe under his regime. He claims to want peace—and his plan is to silence any discordance with an army.

"Your occupied systems are being evacuated to come to war against me on Lenspero. I ask you to come to our aid with whatever resources you have. You can take back your homes, and I understand why that is so important—but know that if the First Order is successful against us today, their work will not stop tomorrow."

Poe sighed and remained silent for a long moment. Then, "Three years ago, we sent out a plea for help. No one came. The Resistance was all but snuffed out. There will be no third chance. This is it. So ask yourself if you're willing to live in a galaxy with no voice. Live in a galaxy where your children learn only the oppressive lives in which they're raised. If that's a galaxy you can live in, then stay put. It's coming for you.

"But if you care about your freedom, now is the time to use it. Come to our aid and let's stop the First Order forever."

Poe ended the broadcast and sat down in his chair with a heavy huff. This really was it. Barring some strange occurrence, the Resistance would die or be victorious on this day. He was placing all of his cargo on this transport. Of course, for it to ultimately succeed, he needed Finn to make contact with him.

And, as if the Force itself understood his plea and reached across the galaxy to help, a hail came in to his port. Poe grinned and received the holo. In the place Kylo Ren had been standing just moments earlier, an image of Finn appeared. Poe recognized the slight warble in the otherwise clear, blue image. BB-8 had always had a distinct flaw in his image reception to broadcast systems.

But Poe couldn't dwell on potential repairs to BB-8's systems, for he now saw clearly that Finn was shirtless and looking rather dashing, if Poe did say so himself. "Finn, buddy!" Poe exclaimed, smiling broadly. "Looking good! Hope I didn't wake y—"

Rey stepped into the reception zone, and Poe's eyes widened. He grinned broader, both happy the two seemed to have worked things out and rather entertained by the notion that he interrupted their "working things out."

"And Rey, too," Poe said slyly, grin turning into a smirk. "So I definitely didn't wake you..."

Finn's brow furrowed, and he turned questioningly to Rey, who looked somehow more clueless at his implications than Finn. "Right," Finn said slowly before turning back to Poe. "We got both Ren's and your messages. What's the play, Poe?"

Poe really wanted to dwell for a moment longer on having caught Finn shirtless with Rey, but the two of them were expertly pushing the conversation to obviously more pressing places. "Well, I've sent out the call for help. If they don't answer this call, then this Resistance was always going to be doomed. And if they do answer the call...well, we'll still need more help. Rey?"

Rey's face grew determined. "Kylo made a very specific threat to the Jedi. And we can't let innocent people suffer in the name of preserving the Jedi—it goes against everything we stand for. I'll check with Leia—but I suspect you'll have our support."

Poe nodded with a smile. Perhaps everything was coming together, after all. "And Finn? Can we move up the timeline?"

Finn turned to Rey again, and Poe saw the question in his eyes. Rey stared right back, and they seemed to have an hours-long conversation in their gaze. Poe almost felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment. And then Rey spoke, and Poe _knew_ he was intruding on an intimate moment.

"I've been running away for so long Finn. I'm ready to run forward now. With you."

A slow, meaningful, beautiful smile came across Finn's face. He cupped Rey's face in his hand and rubbed her cheek gently with his thumb. Poe coughed.

Without turning back to Poe, Finn quietly said to him, "Rey and I will leave straight away."

Poe let out a soft chuckle. A swell of confidence threatened to burst his lungs. "I'm glad to hear it," he said. "Though, maybe put a shirt on first. I'm not so sure the First Order will be as distracted by you as Rey or I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things.
> 
> 1) I had this interesting experience writing this chapter I wanted to share. So, Rey starts to open up to Finn there, right? Well, in my initial draft, Finn gets the chance to respond to her before BB-8 interrupts them. And I had so many things I wanted to say about destiny and choice and hope and faith, and it all came spilling out of Finn's mouth. I read it back over and was like...what? Who is this character? Why is he preaching to Rey like this? And then I had to look inwards. If I have these things I want to say about destiny, etc. then shouldn't the story say those things? Why do I have to give my voice to a character? It's just lazy and cheap writing, you know?
> 
> Anyway, I don't know why I felt the need to share that. It was just kind of a cool learning experience for me. And I've got a long way to go, because I don't know how much this fic says all the things I wanted to force Finn to say. But hey, I write to learn how to write as much as I write for fun, so this was nice for me. 
> 
> 2) This is the 2nd fic I've written where Rey is affected by the scar on Finn's back and it instigates an important conversation between the two of them. I can't tell you how important I think a scene like this is for those two characters. And not just because oooohhhh Finn is shirtless with Rey! No--it's not even about the ship, either. I just think it's such a powerful visual for the audience, for Rey, and for Finn to see what he went through to go back for her. It was a terrible missed opportunity not to show the scar in TLJ, and I really hope JJ shows it in some regard in ep9.
> 
> That is all. Hope you enjoyed. If you bothered to read this chapter note...kudos to you. Way too long. C'mon...


	12. Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter posed a new challenge. When I envisioned the climax of this story, it played much more like a movie than a book in my head. And that didn't quite fit into the format that this fic has become. So, I hope the jumps to different characters during the action works here and in the coming chapters.

"How long will these shields hold?" Poe asked a recently-promoted former Stormtrooper captain.

The First Order had arrived in orbit over Lenspero and had begun their bombardment. Poe was ready, of course, and used the First Order's own planetary turbolasers to take out a pair of First Order ships until they were forced to redirect their assault on Poe's base.

The King and Queen were grateful to have the focus away from their people, even if that focus was now on them.

"At this rate, the shields will hold for days," the woman, formerly, LR-3489 responded. She had found her birth name to be Kata Ven Dripa. "The First Order spared no expense in their defense technology. Supreme Leader Snoke believed in expensive strongholds that could be manned by few people over just increasing the army size."

"If you've got the means," Poe commented. The vibe he got from Major Dripa was that they preferred their old Supreme Leader to their new one. Though, he couldn't help but wonder if that's because they had actually entered into war with Kylo Ren, while Snoke had led them in Guerilla war on the Outer Rim for years without heavy confrontation.

Regardless, they weren't First Order any more, and Dripa, along with many others, had helped Poe prepare for this battle for the better part of a day before the First Order started to arrive. Also in the command room were several Resistance officers—having arrived shortly before the First Order—the King and Queen of Lenspero, and some Frimek leaders as well. Poe hadn't met the Lenspero natives before, but found them to be very courteous and helpful. They may not be a war-disposed people, but they had means of fighting back.

"Deploy the back door," Poe called out to Lieutenant Connix, who gave him a quick nod before hailing the Resistance fighters.

High above them, behind the moons of Lenspero, the Resistance Fleet emerged from hiding and approached the First Order from behind. With shields in front to protect them from the planetary turbolasers, the First Order was woefully unprepared for the sneak attack.

Among the fighters, Rose moved swiftly from ship to ship, protecting her bombers from the First Order fighters that were quickly deployed to combat the new arrivals. Still under attack from Lenspero, the destroyers and cruisers could only divert so much shield and attack power to the rear assault, and so the battles became largely between the fighters among the behemoths.

Following Crait, Rose had wanted to follow in her sister's footsteps and become a bomber. She already knew how to fly, and had listened to Paige talk about her job endlessly before she'd been killed above D'Qar. However, after her first battle as a bomber, Rose had come to realize she wanted to _protect_ the bombers. Her squad had been helplessly under fire two years earlier until Poe rushed to their rescue.

After the battle, she approached her general and asked to be trained as a fighter. And now, she cruised through starships in her X-wing, searching out any MG-105 StarFortress bombers that were under attack. In her mind's eye, she saw her sister in each bomber. And though she knew Paige was gone forever, Rose felt at peace as she defended the rechristened Cobalt Squad.

Rose whooped as the bomber she'd just protected from three Tie-fighters dropped a brutal proton bomb load onto a Star Destroyer's bridge. With the shields deflected forward, a few of the bombs caught vulnerable areas, and the bridge erupted in explosive flames.

"Captain," Connix's voice came over her comms. "It appears the squad is starting to take damage."

Rose looked through the battlefield. They had done some damage, but it was true the First Order was too large to defeat in one sneak attack.

"We've got a few more minutes in us, Lieutenant," Rose answered as she pivoted and shot to the nearest bomber to aid.

Down below, Poe watched with some satisfaction as their sneak attack balanced the scales to some degree. On the monitor in front of him, he had a model of the number of ships on either side. Ultimately, though, they were still vastly outnumbered and outgunned.

"Move into phase two," Poe told Connix. His fingers were starting to twitch. What was he doing in a control room? He should be up in the sky. Arguments over the years with Finn flashed through his mind. _Your people need a leader, not a soldier._

Poe knew Finn was right, of course. He'd orchestrated the whole battle plan over the last day. He'd pulled in help from his Resistance leaders, each contributing valuable suggestions and advice in addition to being open to delegation of commands. Poe had requested the King and Queen be present for the battle plan. They'd provided invaluable information on the planet—such as the ability to hide their bombers behind the moons—and brought in the Frimeks to help with the fight. And finally, Poe had engaged the Troopers fully.

Sergeant Tara Fendor's death had had a profound effect on the camp. Personally, Poe had been reminded that the war was much bigger than him, despite being a leader in it. He remembered each person who was fighting had a purpose and mind of their own, even if they were following a plan or orders. In the Resistance, everyone had a choice.

And across the base, it seemed every Trooper was coming to the same conclusion. Naturally, they made their first choice the day Finn invited them to. But word spread of the General who cried as the Sergeant died in his arms. Of the Sergeant who defied the General's orders to flee because she believed in their cause.

That day, the Troopers all realized they didn't just switch allegiances, with a new voice to obey. There was a purpose to all of this—to each of them. And a leader they could believe in.

Of course, Poe felt the change. He was humbled by it. For the first time since Leia had given him the title of General, he felt like he could do it. Like he was meant to do it.

So, twitching fingers and all, Poe watched as the second phase of their plan was enacted. He might get into a fighter by the day's end. But for now, his people needed him here.

Rose got the command and saw her bombers safely jump into hyperspace before she and the other fighters led a horde of Tie Fighters into the atmosphere of Lenspero. The First Order ships howled behind her, and to her left and right, she saw allies being torn apart. Over her comms, she heard the final words of a number of her friends.

Through her sickened heart, Rose dove toward the watery surface of Lenspero, banking left and right to avoid laser fire from her enemy. As she approached the water at heavy speeds, she pulled up sharply, feeling and fighting against the g-force on her ship and body. Behind her, the much more agile Tie Fighters pulled up just behind her.

From under the surface, enormous geysers burst out of the calm ocean right behind Rose. The four or five Tie Fighters trailing her tightly piloted right into the giant columns of water, tearing them to shreds or sending them hurtling to the ocean surface.

Rose let out a whoop in celebration and circled back over to see a pair Frimeks poke their heads up from the surface of the water. They raised their finned arms in the air, cheering along with Rose.

"Report," came Connix's voice over her comms.

Rose looked across the ocean surface for miles and watched dozens of similar geysers bursting from the water and bringing down additional enemy ships.  Under the sea, the Frimeks had built a grand travel system of manufactured currents. It allowed them to travel quickly when angled towards nearby underwater cities. When angled upwards, the current generators created geysers used for sport and entertainment. Since the occupation, they were rarely used for such things. And now, they were used for war instead.

"The ambush is working very well—though I can't imagine the First Order will continue to fall for it." Rose looked up at the sky to see innumerable fighters and transports taking the place of those defeated. "And we've hardly put a dent in their forces."

"No matter," Connix said. "The Frimeks will continue to attack when they are able. We are starting phase three—take out the transports."

Rose obeyed, and was delighted to see reinforcements joining them. Tie Fighters took off from the base and joined the fray. Only, these Ties targeted her enemy instead of her. For an extended time, the enemy Tie Fighters had no idea what to do with their own ships attacking them. Rose was able to find a transport—likely carrying dozens of ground troops and some ground vehicles—and light it up.

For a brief moment, she couldn't help but think of the Troopers on that ship—were they like Finn? Were they like the thousands that had joined the Resistance yesterday in the wake of Finn's speech? How were the former Troopers handling these same questions?

And Rose knew that this was a messy scenario with no easy solution. The evils of the First Order leadership were putting innocent people in harm's way. Unfortunately, at this moment, the only way to protect Lenspero was to fight the First Order.

So Rose gripped her yoke tightly, and found the next transport.

In the base below, Poe watched with increasing fear as his people were being overwhelmed in the air. The anti aircraft weapons were running full-time, but could not keep up with the sheer volume of fighters inbound while keeping fire on the destroyers high above them. Without continuous assault on the destroyers, the enormous battle stations would be able to enter atmosphere and destroy their shields. But without redirected fire on the fighters, the transports would be able to land.

"General," Major Dripa interrupted his thoughts. "The first Transport has arrived. My troops have opened fire."

The former trooper did not look happy, however. "How are we doing?" he asked, fearing her response.

"Sir, the Knights are with the Troopers."

 

Naz stood still, kept his breathing and features neutral, and didn't react or talk unless addressed. His stoic nature had kept him in the good graces of General Hux _and_ the Supreme Leader—a seeming contradiction, an impossibility. Both believed whole-heartedly that if push came to shove, he would be on their side. Precisely what Naz wanted.

And now, he stood still, kept his features neutral, and didn't speak. But even Naz couldn't keep his breathing steady, as well trained as he was. Even he couldn't keep his heart from beating uncontrollably, beads of nervous sweat from forming. Fortunately, Hux was far too distracted to notice. He listened with rapt fury to a report from Lenspero.

"And after he was done speaking to them, FN-2187 released _Project Resurrection_ files to the entire base—regardless of whether they joined him or not."

Hux was doing a much less effective job of hiding his feelings than Naz. His face was red and when he spoke back to the holo of the Knight of Ren on Lenspero, it came out as a constipated scream. "You're telling me thousands of my Trooper defected because of a speech and the name of the planet they came from? He didn't offer them anything else?"

"Well, their freedom," the Knight said like he was talking to a toddler, while looking over his shoulder. A battle seemed to be ongoing in the near distance. Naz knew Hux hated the old Knights. The ones who followed the Supreme Leader from the Jedi Academy. They didn't have the years of conditioning that the ex-trooper Knights did. They held no respect for the General. "I have to go, Hux. If the Trooper I interrogated gives me anything more, I'll let you know. But it sure seems like most of the Troopers here had considered defecting at one time or another. They just needed a little push from FN-2187."

The holo flickered out of view, and Naz had to assume the Knight went back into battle. The old Knight spoke true. Before he was taken and made a Knight of Ren, Naz often thought about defecting. He thought of FN-2187, and wondered what kind of life he now led. Obviously, he was a part of the Resistance—but what did he eat, if not rations? Did he still fall asleep at the same time each night, wake at the same time each morning? Did he obey orders from his general just as he was trained to do for the First Order? Did he find himself a partner he wanted to spend time with and be intimate with, not assigned a breeding partner?

The questions had been endless. But to Naz, the answers would never be enough to dissuade him from the First Order. Naz could read the stars as well as anyone, and in the wake of the battle of Crait, Naz knew who the victor of this war would be. And Naz was nothing if not a winner. No, the First Order was his path to greatness.

"Naz, with me," Hux interrupted his thoughts, and Naz shook his head of his thoughts, upset that he'd allowed his mind to wander in front of a leader. Who knows what his face had revealed, or what his thoughts _would_ have revealed if Kylo Ren were in the room.

"Yes, sir," Naz said simply, and followed behind Hux. He didn't need to ask where they were going, like he occasionally did with the Supreme Leader. Unlike Kylo Ren, Hux couldn't wait to share his plans, almost as a matter of boasting his intelligence.

As they exited the general's office and then base of operations, Hux detailed his plan for Naz whenever they were clear of anyone else's earshot. With each passing step, Naz's stomach churned with anxiety.

"We obviously cannot allow FN-2187 to exploit our military's one weakness. That means we must remove the ingredients of their defection. FN-2187, whom we assume is on Lenspero, and is likely facing his destruction at the hands of our great military force. And the origins of our Troopers—the Project Resurrection files."

They boarded a transport and Hux ordered the driver take them to central spire of the First Order headquarters. Hux used to work in the central spire—the old Jedi Temple. Though it had long been converted to the Emperor's personal tower, and then into the base of military operations for the new Republic—as pitiful as it was—until that military began rotating with the government, and finally into the First Order capital building. The Supreme Leader had taken residence near the top of the tower, and commanded Hux to move his office to one of the outer spires. It had been a power move, though Naz knew that Hux was secretly grateful. It had given him space away from Kylo's prying eyes.

"Aren't you concerned of a Stormtrooper uprising in the event they learn of you destroying their information?" Naz asked the general, managing to keep his voice even and face unexpressive.

"We will destroy all the defectors on Lenspero, and the rest of our grand army won't know what they don't know," Hux sniveled. Naz resisted rolling his eyes. It was this exact pride that led to the insurgence in the first place. Hux had moved forward with his plan of tarnishing the name of FN-2187, unwittingly putting the idea of defection in the minds of his millions of Troopers. Now, he was acting brashly once more, assuming his Troopers would not find out about the files.

"No," Hux continued, voice hushed as the transport slowed in front of the central spire. "I'm not worried about the Troopers. I am worried about the Supreme Leader."

They exited the transport and walked past several guards on their way to the First Order databanks, including three Knights, always stationed at the central station. Outside of them, however, the First Order headquarters was looking rather bare, given the mass attack ordered on Lenspero.

"I assume he knows nothing?" Hux asked when they were safely out of earshot.

"The research into the Force and the hidden holocrons you directed me to have been invaluable," Naz told the general honestly. "I have been able to hide my true thoughts from him in a way he never could with Snoke."

"Supreme Leader Snoke," Hux corrected with a raised eyebrow. "And your fellow Knights?"

"They are ready to move when we are."

 

A miniature Poe, bluish and flickering, gestured wildly before Finn and Rey. "We are running out of time here, guys!"

Finn knelt on the ground in front of BB-8 and the projected General of the Resistance. "Poe, we're about to drop out of hyperspace right now."

Behind him, Rey wrung her hands together anxiously. Finn heard her placating voice, though it was tense with concern. "Reinforcements will arrive any second, Poe."

Poe's shoulders slumped, but he gave a brave nod. "Okay. Thanks. And good luck out there."

The light flickered out, and Finn stood, turning to Rey. He met her worried eyes with his own. "We don't have much time."

She shook her head and grabbed her hands in his. "Finn, we can't let the short timer lead to bad decisions, okay?"

Finn squeezed her hands reassuringly. In the mad dash from Cloud City, the two had not really had a chance to finish their conversation. In a way, her very attitude towards him was enough. She wasn't dwelling on having run from him. She looked at him with open awe and hope. She held his hands for longer than necessary, and gently rubbed her thumbs over his skin intimately.

"We've got a good plan, and we're good improvisers, Rey. And the Force is with us. What more could we need?"

Rey looked like she had an answer, but a roar from the cockpit told Finn that they were arriving. "Got it, Chewy!" Finn shouted back. "And remember to stay close. We'll probably need a quick escape."

Chewy roared back his approval, and Rey and Finn made their way to the ramp. Just a couple days ago, they had jumped out of this ship on Lenspero to free his home planet. And now...

The ramp opened, and Curoscant's brilliant city lights look back at Finn. He'd never been to an ecumenopoleis. Skyscrapers to the horizon and beyond. It truly was a sight to see. But as the Falcon dipped lower into the buildings, Finn knew he didn't have time to admire it.

"There's the old Temple," Rey said, almost reverently. Then, with a shake of her head, "Corrupted beyond repair, now. And the corruption started long before the Empire took over."

Finn didn't know the history well, but Rey had explained vaguely to him before how the Jedi had failed the Republic almost as much as Palpatine and destroyed it. Finn was interested in the history. Deep inside him, he knew it was the key to avoiding the same mistakes going forward. But at this point, he just desperately wanted to get to a point where mistakes could even be made.

"Ready?" Finn asked as the ground approached, and they neared a guarded perimeter. At Rey's nod, BB-8 attached himself via suction cable to Finn's armor once more and the three leapt from the ship.

Finn was tempted to try using the Force to slow himself—but he really didn't think now was the time to be experimenting with this strange, unreliable power that he'd found in himself. In fact, the more Finn tried to control the power, the less he felt it.

So instead, he activated his jetpack and eased them down, not far from the perimeter of the five spires of the capital. They were in a small shopping district—the buildings not nearly the size of most of the planet. The Emperor had demolished much of the surrounding city around his tower, so as to improve his view. In their place filtered the people who were content living on the ground. Finn imagined it was a great, constant metaphor of the Emperor's tyranny. And Kylo was likely glad he didn't need to renovate.

After they landed, Finn pulled out his macrobinoculars and scanned the area in front of them. Meanwhile, Rey wandered over to a nearby speeder and ripped off the front panel.

"Just as we expected, the guard has been gutted for the battle on Lenspero. There's hardly anyone up there." He turned back to Rey to see her tearing the coating off of some wires between her teeth.

He scanned the perimeter quickly once more and found the checkpoint with just one guard. He pointed it out to Rey, who had managed to jumpstart the speeder. "Then let's go!"

"Rey, the Jedi," Finn said with a grin, heaving up BB-8 before hopping into the seat beside Rey. "Rey, the speeder thief."

"I'll give it back to them," Rey glared at Finn good-naturedly and hit the forward thrusters. "If all goes well, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to have let us borrow their speeder."

BB-8 beeped its agreement, head swiveling between its two human friends. If everything wasn't at stake here, Finn would almost say he was having fun. A fun night in the city with Rey and BB-8, getting into trouble like the day they met.

But alas, as they approached the checkpoint, Finn knew now was not the time for reflection on what could be. The Force swept through him once more with great purpose. As they neared the guard, Finn looked at the man, and he simply waved them through. No check of credentials, questioning of purpose. No need for Rey to wave her hand and work her Jedi mind trick on the man, convincing him they didn't need a reason to be there or proof of identity.

He simply waved them through, and Finn _knew_ he was in the right place.

"That was lucky," Rey said, increasing her speed now to the center spire.

"It's not luck," Finn said softly. With the wind whipping in the faces, his words may have gotten lost. But Rey turned to him, eyebrows furrowed.

"Finn?"

"This is it, Rey. I can feel it." He turned to her, and she slowed the speeder as they approached the main tower that used to serve as a Jedi Temple. "Can you feel it, too?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing softly. She looked absolutely beautiful in the glow of the city lights. Her skin looked soft, and he wanted to reach out and brush his fingers along her cheek. Her hair was pulled back, but a few loose strands screamed to be tucked behind her ear. Her lips were pulled into a light frown as she searched for something in the Force. Finn wanted to kiss away the frown.

 Finn would always prefer star light to city light—but Rey made this work just as well.

When she opened her eyes, Finn didn't stop staring. Her frown did shift into a shy smile when she caught him before she glanced at the wide doors to the tower. Finn had been distracted, and hadn't noticed the three Knights of Ren standing guard. It appeared as though when the Troopers were recalled, the Knights got guard duty.

"I did feel something, Finn." She looked back at him, now. Her eyes held something that her words didn't convey. "This is your time, but that time is short."

"Rey?" Finn asked.

"Finn, we can probably take those three Knights. If it was just two of them, I'd say let's go get them now. But we don't have time."

"Rey," Finn said, voice low in warning.

"Let me pull them away. We don't have time."

"You said yourself that we can't do anything rash because of time."

"This isn't rash, Finn," she said, and Finn saw that _something_ in her eyes once more. "I may not defeat them, but I'll be okay. And I know you'll come back for me."

And there it was. Destined to be separated until the end, but choosing to return to each other each time. And Finn knew it had to be. But he also believed that "end" was fast approaching—and they wouldn't need to be separated anymore.

And maybe Rey saw the _something_ in his eyes, too. The words he wanted to say to her right now. "I'll always come back." _I love you_.

"I know," Rey said, her mouth hanging open slightly with the words unsaid. Instead, her gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips and back again; Finn reached out and grasped her fingers in his hands. There was so much they wanted to say, to do. So much to discover together.

But time was short—and such declarations and discoveries would be distracting in a time where there couldn't be distractions.

So Finn climbed out of the speeder, and lifted the surprisingly quiet BB-8 out after him. They hid behind a garden pony wall while Rey drove the speeder up closer to the entrance before she leapt out.

BB-8 finally made some noises, asking Finn something along the lines of, "So what exactly _is_ going on between you two?"

Finn smiled, watching Rey light her saber-staff in front of the three Knights. They reacted immediately, red blades appearing quickly. "You know, BB-8. When this is all over, I can't wait to find out."

 

The First Order army was advancing quickly. On the ground, their assault vehicles had landed not far from the military base that Poe had commandeered as his own. Led by Knights of Ren, there was only so much Poe's army of Resistance and former Troopers could do. Bit by bit, their defensive advantages—force fields, stationary turbo-lasers with more fire power than any mobile unit, and familiar terrain—was being destroyed by the First Order.

AT-MX's, AT-ST's, and new armored tanks that Poe hadn't seen before advanced quickly. The Resistance was able to take out a few, but the sheer volume was overwhelming. And they kept coming.

The first wave hadn't been it for the First Order. Maybe Poe could have defeated that wave. But reinforcements kept arriving, each occupied planet sending their units to aid in the battle at Lenspero.

But even without the reinforcements, the five Knights of Ren leading the charge seemed unbeatable. They remained safely tucked behind their armor of Troopers and vehicles until they were necessary. And slowly but surely, they made it through layers of shields, deactivated or destroyed Poe's weapons, and neared the base.

"We can't hold out much longer," Connix reported to Poe. "And if they take down our last shield or destroy out last turbolaser, they'll wipe us out in a a matter of minutes."

Poe gripped the table fiercely. For the briefest of moments, he let himself doubt. Finn and Rey wouldn't make it in time. The call to the Resistance sympathizers fell on deaf ears. The Jedi would not arrive. He felt himself slink away from the display in front of him—a model of the battleground where their pieces were dropping like Mynocks. And the First Order steadily grew.

"Sir, another round of ships is inbound from hyperspace," Major Drippa informed him, another gut punch in this moment of despair. Was there no end to the First Order reinforcements?

Then, over the communications, a most beautiful and welcome sound: Leia's voice.

"General, it looks like you need some backup."

And then Major Drippa turned from her monitors. "The other inbound ships aren't First Order, either!"

Poe looked at the display as the hails started coming in, asking for direction. Support from around the galaxy, heeding his call for aid.

He felt a second wind sweep through his entire body. He straightened his back, took a deep breath, and stepped back up to the strategy display. Maybe they could buy Finn and Rey a little more time. Maybe they could survive this battle and save Lenspero. Maybe, just maybe, the galaxy had hope after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how this felt, if you could. The next couple chapters may or may not be as jumpy as this one. Did it flow okay? Did you understand what was going on? Any notes would be appreciated.


	13. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been too long, and I'm sorry for that. For the first time, my long delay was caused by external delays, and not an internal block. So that's nice. Life just got busy!
> 
> Suffice it to say, I'm happy to have this one up. Please enjoy!
> 
> P.S. Chapter 7 is the one with the referenced message, if you need a refresher on what was said there. I know its been a few months since I posted it, so it may not be fresh in your minds...

Rey's job was simple. She needed to pull the Knights away from the former Jedi Temple. Luckily, she was a rather recognizable figure among the Knights of Ren. Their master had been fixated on her for the past few years, and his Knights had been hunting her relentlessly. She'd always come out on top when their paths crossed. But she'd never had to face three of them on her own before.

Rey stood before them, staff-saber alight. For a moment, they just stared at her, as if in disbelief that she was here. After all this time of hunting her down, she came to them.

And then, as if possessed by the same mind, all three Knights leapt into action. They rushed her, drawing their own crimson blades. Rey held her ground, not wanting to proffer the idea that she was there for bait, not battle.

Rey met the first Knight's blade with her own, before swinging the staff up and through. The Knight leaned back, carefully avoiding her strike. Rey had to sidestep a second blade and swung her staff horizontally, turning herself completely around and extending her weapon. The three Knights backed off nervously and the four combatants stalled for a moment to reappraise the situation.

Now, if Rey were to back away from the building, the Knights would not suspect anything. No, they would believe that they had the upper hand and Rey was fighting defensively. They would be right, in a sense. Rey knew she couldn't defeat these three Knights.

But behind her, Rey sensed Finn—hidden away but anxiously observing her fight. But Rey could do this. She could hold them off. She could buy him time. He wouldn't need much. Rey knew Finn. Even if he sometimes didn't realize it, Rey knew what he was capable of. He had proven it when he'd returned to Starkiller for her.

The weapon that now made up her staff-saber may have called out to her on Takodana, but the Force itself had been calling out to Finn since Jakku. And he finally knew what he was listening for. And his time was now. So Rey would give him that time. She took a deep breath.

The Knights gripped their weapons tighter, and Rey turned and ran.

 

Blaster in hand, Poe emerged from the main First Order station and ran to the battlement that encompassed the entire base. Like everything on Lenspero, the base was located on an enormous platform above the ocean. This particular platform was much longer than it was wide, and the base took up most of the width. That meant the ground strike could only come from one direction. While the three walls that bordered the ocean were mostly lined with anti-air weaponry, the wall Poe ran along now housed turbo lasers and plasma cannons designed specifically for heavily armored vehicles.

Poe watched with some satisfaction as a heavy barrage of blasts and cannon fire took a Gorilla Walker to its knees and rendered it useless. This was their last line of defense. The Walkers and Knights had made quick work of the first two battlements and shielding, but then Leia had arrived with her Jedi.

Poe glanced behind him at the ship Leia had come in. They must have just missed each other as Leia led a group of Jedi Meditators into the main station while the Jedi Knights remained outside, anxious to get in on the fight. Poe met a particularly rambunctious young Jedi named Koral who looked like it took all of her restraint not to rush headlong into the walkers by herself, orders and allies be damned.

Poe was quick to take charge, issuing each of the Knights a comm device and outline the basic defense strategy. Poe knew that this was about survival, not victory. Finn was the real key to this battle, and Poe knew he needed to buy him time.

And right now, time was running short. The Knights were ready to make their next move.

"The Knights are moving into attack formation," Poe spoke into his comms. "Move into position!"

His Jedi allies quickly rushed into their own formation, and Poe watched carefully as the Knights emerged from behind a stalled Walker, and started drawing fire.

"Direct all fire away from the Knights!" Poe ordered. "Let them come at us."

All laser and canon fire redirected above the Knights, and the vehicles were forced to halt progression to put all energy into their shields. Momentarily surprised at the opening, the Knights quickly recovered and rushed the battlement. In their minds, they could take out the weaponry before the Resistance could take out the vehicles.

"Jedi, your turn!" Poe ordered. Half of the infantry laid down fire on the Knights. The blasts slowed them down, but their real goal was to keep their attention as the Jedi hopped into sub-speeders and shot into the ocean, out of view of the First Order.

The Knights were nearly to the battlement and shield generators when the commotion behind them redirected their attention. Poe grinned through his macrobinoculars as he watched the Jedi emerge from their speeder submarines and attack the vehicles from behind.

With shields directed forward, the Jedi lightsabers made quick work of the feet of the walkers. One by one, they began toppling to the ground.

The Knights, now in a panic, began retreating to their army. Poe ordered all fire to reign down on the Knights, and their movement was slow back to their army, having to deflect, dodge, and force-push the blasts and ammunition as they retreated.

Poe grinned at their victory, and let himself revel in it for a moment. Then he looked up to the sky and sighed. "Great work," he said into his comms, trying to sound upbeat. "But it's time to come back—they've got their next wave of ground assault incoming."

Sure enough, massive transports were headed their way, just outside of the artillery's range. The Resistance's air-assault was too busy with the First Order fleets to do much damage either.

 _Please hurry, Finn,_ Poe thought to himself as he watched the Jedi get back into their sub-speeders and return behind the battlement.

 

Finn could barely breathe. His skin tightened over his knuckles as he gripped his blaster harder and harder. Outside the building, Rey was fighting for her life, just so Finn could enter this building undisturbed. Light years away, Poe led an army of Resistance and former Troopers, drawing away the majority of the First Order military, all so Finn could be in this building. The Force itself weighed heavily in Finn's heart, impressing on him that the balance of the galaxy rested on his shoulders.

And a slightly bouncy tune played in the elevator, taunting Finn with its light rhythm that should be relaxing. He glanced down at BB-8, and had an odd, brief thought about whether or not droids enjoyed music.

But the thought was inconsequential, and circumstances were such that when the doors opened, and Finn slinked out, blaster drawn and footsteps silent, the music merely joined the background noise of humming generators, air conditioning fans, and BB-8's soft, metallic roll behind him. He hoped one day he could reflect on the inconsequential thoughts and the mundane questions.

Instead, Finn crept forward into the massive hall that used to be the Jedi Archive room. In the years since then, it served as a grand data storage for the Empire, the New Republic, and now the First Order. Finn shook his head at the quick turnover of the galactic government, and wondered—not for the first time—what went wrong.

Seeing movement, Finn couldn't dwell on the question long—even if this one wasn't inconsequential. He darted behind a data shelf, followed tightly by BB-8, and peered ahead. The Archive Hall housed a rotunda of interactive displays, from which shot four hallways filled with data shelves. It was behind one of these shelves that Finn observed Hux and a Knight standing at a data console in the middle of the rotunda.

Finn silently hurried to the far end of the data shelf and down the hallway, out of sight of the pair of First Order operatives. He reached the final shelf and mouthed to BB-8 to stay here and stay quiet. The little droid nodded its head in understanding. Then, Finn took a moment to observe Hux and the Knight.

"Of course, after we destroy these records, we'll have to order each branch to delete the copies of Project Resurrection that they have for their own Troopers," Finn heard Hux say, straining his ears to catch each word.

The Knight spoke even quieter, but Finn somehow heard him clearer. "Sir, without these files, will reconditioning be as effective?"

Hux sighed. "Yes, knowledge of their origins, their people, and their culture has shown to be helpful in correcting some incorrect behavior. However, it is a sacrifice we must make if we are to prevent this uprising from continuing."

Finn gripped his blaster. He couldn't let Hux do this. He had taken everything from him. From every Trooper. This man was as responsible as any for the Stormtrooper program. This man ordered the raids of villages, cities, and planets. The abduction of children. The brainwashing, programming, and reprogramming of living souls. This man—who somehow, monster that he was, was still a man—was responsible for the occupation of his planet, and the lost childhoods of the children taken from it, and even those who remained.

Finn took a deep breath, turned the corner, raised his blaster, and—

A red lightsaber emerged from the back of Hux. It was shaky, almost as unsteady as Kylo Ren's. But it was different. There was no cross guard, and it was wielded by the Knight, not the Master.

The general fell to his knees, and Finn saw his own hate of Hux reflected in the Knight's eyes. Finn _felt_ his pain, his sorrow, and his rage like the heat off Jakku's sun.

"Why..." Hux managed with one of his last breaths.

"Because you don't get to decide what the Troopers do and don't get to have anymore," the Knight responded, so focused on the dying man in front of him that he still hadn't noticed Finn just beyond him. Finn quickly slipped behind the shelf once more.

He stuck his head out and watched Hux fall to the ground, and felt the life leave him. Finn couldn't be sure of the feelings in his soul in that moment. It wasn't happiness, and it wasn't quite satisfaction. But he felt as though justice had been issued, and perhaps he was grateful or disappointed he hadn't needed to pull the trigger. Possibly both.

But he may still need to pull the trigger.

The Knight lifted a hand to his mouth. "Knights—Hux is dead. It is time to move on the Supreme Leader before he finds out."

Finn wondered if he should let the Knight leave, off to confront Kylo Ren about something. His tone suggested they were going to attack Kylo, though Finn couldn't be sure. So he stepped out from behind the shelf again, blaster raised. He looked at the general a little closer as he drew nearer to the Knight.

"FN-2187," the Knight said, voice surprised.

Finn looked up from the dead general to the sparking blade of a Knight of Ren. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." He glanced warily between the blade and the Knight's eyes. Was this a simple power-grab of a Knight? Or did this man's hatred of Hux extend to the entire First Order?

"I am Naz," the Knight offered, before quickly tacking on, "Formerly NZ-0067."

Finn felt his blaster drop slightly, but he kept it vaguely on the Knight. "Good to meet you, Naz. I go by Finn now."

"By Commander," Naz corrected. "Or 'the Traitor' in these parts."

He said the words with so little emotion that Finn couldn't decide if he was merely stating a fact, or actually calling Finn a traitor.

"Can you betray something you never chose? Never believed?" Finn asked.

Naz looked down at Hux and blinked. "No. I don't think you can."

"And what do you believe?"

There was a long pause. Blaster and Saber, both held in a half-hearted fighting stance. At last Naz spoke. "I believe that the Stormtroopers deserve a chance to choose. I believe that Hux was unfit to dethrone Kylo Ren. I believe that Kylo Ren needs to be dethroned."

"I can help with that," Finn said. But something still felt off. Naz felt off. "And who takes the throne afterwards?"

"My fellow Knights have already pledged their allegiance to me." He raised his lightsaber a fraction more, awaiting Fiinn's reaction.

"Like you pledged yours to Kylo?" Finn needled.

Another pregnant pause. "Like you said—I never chose that allegiance. The other Knights have chosen me."

"So what would change under you, Supreme Leader?" Finn's tone was not that of compliance, but skepticism. And Naz knew it. He brought his lightsaber into both hands and tightened his grip over it. Finn was patient, not quite raising his blaster fully.

"The Stormtroopers would be given a choice," he said firmly.

"And what happens when they choose to fight back?" Finn asked.

"Then they will be our enemies," Naz answered swiftly. "But they can leave without retribution."

"And the rest of the galaxy? What if they don't like the leader _they_ haven't chosen?"

"Wake up Commander," Naz snapped. The stoic Knight took a step forward, eyes flashing. "This galaxy needs us. It needs a leader who will make the hard decisions. Who will keep order. It took thirty years for this galaxy's _chosen_ leaders to bring them right back into war. No. That won't happen again."

"Admirable goal," Finn said with a sad shake of his head. He finally brought his blaster up completely and aimed it at Naz's chest. "But I can't do that with you. I've seen too many lives destroyed by the First Order's durasteel fist to think the means justify it."

"Then I guess our ways part here." He adjusted his fighting stance.

Finn sighed, and readied his blaster.

 

Rey breathed heavily as the fighting stopped, trying to catch her breath. The Knights were fanned out in front of her, but looked at each other questioningly. Rey couldn't help but have questions for them, too. They had just received a message from another Knight that Hux was dead. And that they needed to move on Kylo Ren. Had Finn found and killed Hux? Was it another Knight, and they were going to kill Kylo Ren next?

"What do we do?" The Knight asking the question was the strongest fighter of the three. He was powerful, if a little slow, and each of his saber swings had forced Rey to take a step back to absorb the blow. But, for all of that power, it was clear he wasn't the leader here.

The lone female Knight was beautiful. She had long, auburn hair that seemed to gleam with a thousand shades of red in the glow of her saber. Unlike the two men in flowing black robes, her black attire clung to her shapely body, increasing her allure. She typically hung back in the saber fighting, but Rey had to keep track of her at all times to negate the Knight's attempts at Force freezing or pushing her.

"We finish her off first," the woman said, and her eyes narrowed at Rey. "We'll be no good if we show up with her on our tail."

"I can help you defeat him," Rey said. She wasn't so interested in joining whatever coup they were a part of. She just needed to stall as much as possible. Her battle with them was not going well, and Rey knew she could only hold them off for so much longer.

"You'll turn on us the second we kill the Supreme Leader," the woman replied quickly, not a shadow of the doubt Rey saw on the other faces. The third Knight was oddly silent. He looked younger than Rey—maybe 18 or 19 years old. Rey had to wonder if he was just following the most magnetic leader he could find.

"Well, that depends on what you plan to do once you kill him," Rey responded. She'd milk as much information and time as she could.

"Naz will be twice the Supreme Leader that Kylo ever was," the large Knight said. The woman gave him a dirty look, obviously not pleased with him speaking out of turn.

"Naz, is it?" Rey questioned the woman, hoping to appeal to her humanity by learning and using her name.

The woman merely scoffed. "No, that's not my name. I am Lira. But I have given Naz my full support. I prefer to operate in the shadows."

Rey bit back a laugh. Somehow, that didn't seem like someone whose 'support' would mean very much. "Well, maybe if I meet Naz, I could get behind backing him as well, and join you to take down Kylo."

Lira hesitated just long enough for the other two Knights to glance at each other. Then she responded while raising her saber higher. "I wouldn't trust a Jedi who backed a Knight of Ren."

"Yet I could trust a Knight who saw Kylo for the failure that he is," Rey cajoled. Though the Knights were immune to any mind trick, she still let the Force flow with her words, hoping they sounded appealing. "You've seen the state of the galaxy and First Order. We both only want what's best for the galaxy."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "You would let the First Order reign?"

"Obviously not in its current state," Rey said, knowing she wouldn't be believed without some truth. "But clearly Naz has different plans, and I'd like to learn them."

"Maybe we should take her to Naz," the big one said. The youngest of the Knights merely looked at Rey with a quirked head, as if calculating something.

"If we can bind her," Lira sneered. Rey merely lifted an eyebrow. Lira smirked, her goal accomplished to end this conversation. "Then I guess there's nothing more to discuss."

"It seems these two disagree," Rey retorted, waving at other Knights, who watched the exchange like a sporting event.

"It seems you are stalling—likely exhausted from a fight you know you can't win."

And Rey knew she couldn't talk her way out of this anymore. "I'd rather come to a peaceful resolution," she said with just a hint of sarcasm. "But if you are going to force these other two to fight me, then we'll fight."

And even though the two raised their lightsabers at their leader's call, Rey saw the hesitation. Maybe nothing would come of it. Maybe something would. Regardless, Rey just hoped Finn would hurry up. Her blade met theirs, and the fighting resumed.

 

Kylo Ren's mind hummed with the Force. Staring out the window of his throne room, he sensed so much, he had no idea what to make of any of it. Betrayal hung in the air. The Light seemed to be near, too. And an odd dance of power and submission taunted him from beyond the window. Kylo didn't understand the feelings, and he certainly couldn't pinpoint where they came from.

Until betrayal waited outside of his room.

He lit his saber and walked tentatively over to the doorway. With a wave of his hand, his doors slid open.

Two Knights stood in the doorway. Initially startled by his appearance, they quickly reacted to his lit saber and ignited their own.

And though he knew there were wolves in his pack, Kylo couldn't ignore the pang of hurt that accompanied his fury at their betrayal. And perhaps it was this pain that gave the Knights the briefest of advantages on him.

They leapt forward, through the doorway, and immediately had the Supreme Leader on his heels.

Having trained all of his Knights, Kylo knew their skill level. These two had been among the first selected from the Stormtrooper program. Jairus and Cara, both of the DM- troop that successfully overthrew the Hendrum system and submitted thousands of applicants to the Stormtrooper Program.

Scoring in the top twenty all-time, they were elite in nearly every combat test and category—Naz and FN-2187 among the few that performed better. Their combat ability was only enhanced once training in the Force had begun. The only Knights Kylo would want to face less would be Naz and Lira, both of whom were thankfully loyal to their core.

But Kylo wasn't the Master of the Knights for no reason, and he beat back their strikes with such power and anger that he saw doubt and fear enter their eyes. Kylo smirked. The pair stepped back and reassessed the situation, beginning to circle their Master.

Kylo kept his eyes on Cara, knowing she was the faster of the two. But he was ever mindful of Jairus, who didn't need a saber or the Force to do serious damage to a man.

Cara darted at Kylo, slashing low. He leapt over the sweeping saber and brought his own up just in time to deflect an attack from Jairus. Kylo extended his hand to push Cara away from the fight, but the distance he created between them was small, and Cara joined the battle before Kylo could land a blow to Jairus. She landed a short jab on his left forearm, and Kylo growled in pain.

The pain fueled him, and he pushed back. But he would need more than pain to win this fight.

 

Finn launched into the air for what felt like the twentieth time. Half of those forays into momentary weightlessness ended in a painful strike to the ground as he slid away from Naz's outstretched hand. The other half were carefully planned thrusts into the air with his jetpack as he tried to get an angle on the Knight of Ren to get a clean shot off.

Fighting Naz wasn't too dissimilar from his bouts with Rey. Aside from his powerful attraction to Rey occasionally distracting him, the biggest difference in their fighting styles was Naz's pace. While Rey was relentless, she was methodical. Naz kept coming with no breaks, no taunts, and no frills. He was a warrior with one purpose—end Finn.

And though he took some lumps in the battle because of it, Finn had begun to see a pattern. Perhaps because he acted so quickly, Naz ran mostly on instinct and habit. And habit revealed itself when Finn hit the ground and Naz leapt after him.

Each of the previous times Finn landed on his back, Naz would perform a leaping attack before Finn finished sliding across the floor. He had avoided his painful end by a combination of jetpack thrusts along the floor, haphazard blasts at the incoming Knight, and, in one particularly close call, activating the conductor vanes along his armored arms. But the next time, Finn would be ready.

So he rolled out of the way, and engaged Naz once more in battle. He fired quick blasts at the Knight, carefully aiming low to limit Naz's ability to aim his deflections back at Finn. He brought his whip down, causing the Knight to sidestep and then charge at Finn. He activated his thrusters to propel himself backwards, and Naz reached out his hand.

And Finn was ready. Just as he felt the Force send him hurtling backwards at an angle and rate he hadn't intended with his own thrust, Finn threw his arm underhand, bringing his whip upwards as he flew backwards.

Through the pain of landing on his back and losing his breath, Finn managed to see his whip wrap around the ankle of the leaping Naz. He activated the current, and Naz's body jolted just before he came crashing down on Finn.

Finn rolled quickly out of the way of the saber that Naz still had a firm grip on, but his enemy fell, almost frozen and unconscious, to the ground in the spot Finn just evacuated. He crumpled, and his own saber impaled his stomach before sliding easily out his side.

Finn deactivated the shockwhip, and rushed to the Knight's side. His eyes fluttered back open, and they stared at each other for a long moment. Naz's eyes held great pain—physical and something deeper.

Finn didn't know what to say. This man was his enemy—but Finn didn't know how much of that was his choice. He was a product of a system. But then, so was Finn. But it wasn't fair to hold everyone to his standard, not when life had taken so much from him. He propped the Knight against the console so he wasn't looking at him from the floor any longer. Beside them, Finn felt a swell in the Force. Naz's lightsaber called out to Finn, begging him to take it up.

Instead of speaking to Naz, Finn grabbed the saber and shouted out to BB-8. The droid rolled into view, beeping about how worried he'd been, and sorry he couldn't find an AT-ST to help this time.

Finn managed to smile at the droid while inspecting Naz's weapon, before motioning to the communications console in the center of the room. "That's the primary communications server of the First Order," he told BB-8. "That's the system that Kylo uses to force his messages on everyone in the galaxy. From here, they can't turn off our message."

BB-8 rolled up to the console and plugged in. Finn turned to Naz, but couldn't take his eyes off of the saber. "Your weapon," he began softly. "It's...sick."

Naz gasped, finally startling Finn enough to look up. He was in a bad way, and life was fading fast from his pale face. But still, his eyes held a little wonder in them.

Behind Finn, a large holo appeared. A recording of Finn himself, delivering his message of hope and choice to the Stormtroopers of Lenspero. Only now, the message went out to the whole galaxy. On every dash of every Tie Fighter. In every room of every Star Destroyer. In every hall of every building of every First Order-controlled system. Wherever a holo projector had been installed or updated in the last three years, Finn spoke.

"I was taken from my family when I was younger than two years old," the holo-image of Finn said.

And the war that spanned the galaxy came to a halt.

 

The three Knights had Rey cornered, and she was out of options. Then a giant holo of Finn appeared in the courtyard not twenty yards away. And the three Knights halted their advance on Rey. She let herself breathe a sigh of relief as they turned to watch the former Trooper address them.

Rey hadn't heard Finn's speech, and she watched with awe as her best friend told his story and spoke of a freedom that had forever eluded his people. Rey felt her eyes well up in wonder as the Force spread through her. That man. That good, selfless, honorable man.

He had no business knowing what was right and wrong. Hearing of his upbringing tore her heart in half, but her chest felt too full to breathe as she watched him now, standing bravely before the galaxy and offering them a choice.

A choice he had made, time and time again. Chosen to run away from his captors. Chosen to fight back. Chosen to lead the Resistance. Chosen to come back for her. And Rey smiled through her tears as she reflected on her own choices. She'd been dragged into the galactic struggle. But what was she still doing here? Why had she fought back all these years? Why hadn't she grabbed Finn and told him to run away with her, like he had all those years ago?

Before she could answer her own questions, the Knights began squabbling among themselves.

"Get her!" Lira commanded, though her voice lacked the conviction she'd spoken with to this point.

The bigger Knight tore his gaze away from the holo and lifted his saber half-heartedly.

But the younger, smaller Knight did no such thing. "Let him finish," he said in a whisper, not looking away from Finn.

The other Knights glanced back and forth between the holo and their comrade, unsure what to do. Rey stood her ground, not making a move, allowing herself to hope for the young man.

 

In the main tower, Kylo's opponents halted their fighting to watch the holo that appeared in Kylo's throne room.

After briefly stopping himself to assess this new information, Kylo promptly took advantage of the situation and stabbed Cara and sliced Jairus in half before they could react.

Only then did he allow himself to watch FN-2187's message to the galaxy, fury building in him with each word uttered by the traitor.

 

On the planet of Lenspero, everything seemed to stop. In the sky and in orbit, every fighter and bomber and destroyer saw the message from Finn.

Pilots released from their dogfights and formations to watch the message intently.

On the transports coming to reinforce the ground assault, all Troopers scattered around the holo that appeared in the center of the small space, some even took off their helmets to get a better look.

On the Star Destroyers and Dreadnaughts looking down on the planet, not one eye observed their consoles or charts or instruments. They all focused raptly on the flickering image of a former Trooper, appealing to their pasts and present.

And behind the battlements and in their own fighters, the Troopers-turned-Resistance let out sobs of gratitude that their brothers and sisters would now have the same choice that they did.

And every warrior who had been stolen from their home, who had just been fighting some of their own with feelings of confusion and betrayal, watched a man who had stood where they stood and offered them another option.

 

Back on Curoscant, Finn couldn't wonder about the rest of the galaxy. He hardly paid any attention to his own message playing in the background. He watched the dying Naz instead, who looked between him and his saber with bright eyes. "Finn, where am I from?" he asked.

Finn's chest tightened with empathy, and he immediately turned to the console and opened the Project Resurrection files. Behind him, his holo continued speaking.

Finn skimmed through the files until he found the NZ troop. He jumped down to 0067, and his heart thumped against his chest painfully.

"From Lenspero," Finn said. "My planet."

Naz gave a dark chuckle. "And my parents?"

Finn opened the file and read on. He took a deep breath as the information sunk in. "They were advisors to the King and Queen—my parents."

"Were?"

"It says here they wouldn't release you willingly. We know how the First Order deals with resistance. They must have been killed when they wouldn't let you be taken," Finn said. He wondered how many parents around the galaxy had met the same end.

"We might have known each other," the dying man said. "We might have been friends. I might have served you."

"Hopefully, I would have served you," Finn replied. In his hand, the cool saber hilt hummed. The kyber crystal sang a sad song.

"Do you feel it?" Naz asked, his voice growing weak.

Finn ignited the saber, and the sickly red shimmered with uncertainty. "You bled it," Finn told Naz. "You bled it when it didn't want to be bled."

"It hasn't felt like my crystal since the day it turned red." Naz glared at the weapon.

The sad song grew louder in Finn's soul, and the Force danced to the haunting melody. Rey's teachings echoed in Finn's mind. He grabbed a hold of that Force and _reached_ with it, into the saber.

And the melody halted, momentarily startled by this new Force. Inside the hilt, the crystal seemed to ponder for a moment before it welcomed the Force. Finn guided it over the red stone, hidden away to his eyes, but as clear as day in the Force.

Finn found every rough edge and smoothed, he found every red stain and purged, he found every wailing crevice and comforted.

And the red blade turned purple.

"You...you healed it?" Naz said, and a tear fell from his eye. "It's singing to me again—that's my crystal."

Finn deactivated the weapon and immediately placed the hilt in Naz's hand. The man was weak, and death was at the door. Finn had to wrap his fingers around Naz's in order to keep the hilt in his feeble hands.

"Only..." Naz managed, looking up at Finn from the saber. Behind him, Finn's message to the Stormtroopers was concluding. "Only now, it's yours, too. You are a man I could have followed, Finn."

And with his dying breath and strength, Naz pushed the saber towards Finn.

The song in the crystal was melancholy as it mourned its master's passing—but Finn felt what Naz spoke. The crystal had accepted its healer as its new master.

Finn reached up and shut Naz's eyelids, and studied the man's face. His stomach churned with uncertainty over how to feel about the man. But one feeling was undeniable. Sorrow.

"BB-8," Finn said, his voice coming out raw through his tightened throat. "Release the Project Resurrection files to the galaxy."

Behind him, he heard BB-8 roll back up to the transmission console and extend his scomp link. It twisted a few time, and then the secret was out. The Troopers and their families finally had answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was the chapter that made me write this fic. I was so, so, so disheartened by Finn's arc in TLJ that I wanted to throw up. And after moaning about it for a hot minute, I decided to prove to myself that Finn was still an incredible character with incredible potential in ep9. And while his arc isn't complete yet in this fic, this chapter is likely the most meaningful part of it. I really hope I did Finn Justice!
> 
> In my mind, this climax was very cinematic. While writing it, I struggled with point of view, and I'm not sure that the action or Trooper reaction to the holo played like I'd hoped. But if JJ has similar ideas for ep9, I think it could look beautiful on the big screen. Sorry to justify potentially bad writing...but if it is bad, it's because I envisioned it on a screen moreso than a page.


	14. Rise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The penultimate chapter! Hope you enjoy!!

When the holo of Finn stopped playing, the Knights did not reengage with Rey immediately. Lira looked over to her fellow Knights, and couldn't seem to find the words to speak. Rey studied her face closely and reached out with the Force. The woman was very guarded, but Rey found no indications of doubt in herself or the Dark Side. She felt no pull to the Light that she had even once felt in Kylo Ren.

But she saw fear—fear of what the other two Knights were thinking.

So Rey shifted her gaze to the two men—one barely more than a boy, whose gaze still fell on the spot where Finn's holo just flickered from view. Now that she wasn't fighting for her life, Rey was able to really look at his youthful face. He had short hair, dark tan skin, and brown eyes. Eyes that were haunted with pain and indecision.

"What's your name?" Rey asked softly.

He finally looked away from the ghost of Finn's holo, startling at her voice. He reflexively raised his light saber before carefully dropping it.

"RT-0009," he answered carefully. Beside him, the other Knights were growing anxious. Lira seemed to be debating if she wanted to cut his head off, but looked nervously at the third Knight. Lira likely knew she couldn't take Rey on her own, and if killing RT-0009 turned her last ally against her, she would be done for. The final Knight seemed at a loss of what to do _or_ think.

"You've never chosen a name?" Rey asked, her heart breaking for this young man.

"I go by Trip sometimes," he replied defensively, though Rey knew he hadn't ever internalized the name.

"Finn is offering you another path, Trip," Rey encouraged. "I am offering you another path."

He shook his head. "But I'm a Knight of Ren."

Rey heard Lira breathe a sigh of relief, but Trip's voice rang with indecision. "And I'm a Scavenger," Rey answered. "And that will always be a part of me. But when Finn came into _my_ life, he brought with him a chance at something more. I never chose to be a scavenger. I could still be on Jakku right now—but I took his hand, and I ran."

Rey extended her hand. Trip looked at it desperately. Rey had a feeling if she reached out and grabbed it, he would let her pull him to her side. But if there was one thing she'd learned from Finn, it was that there is no living without choosing.

"RT," Lira said, warningly. "She is the enemy. This is a trick of the Light—they will not welcome you. You will find no life with them."

Trip looked away from Rey for a moment, and she saw the doubt in his eyes.

"Finn is a high ranking officer in the Resistance, and my best friend," Rey said confidently. "We haven't just accepted him, we've embraced him. We will do the same for you."

And then it all happened very quickly. Lira lashed out with her saber towards Trip, Rey leapt forward to block her strike, and the third Knight tumbled backwards in surprise. He recovered in an instant and followed Lira's lead, and stabbed at Trip. Fortunately, Trip had recovered from his shock of being attacked by his ally, and immediately put up his guard.

Rey knew that the best way for her to help Trip was to defeat Lira, so she immediately went on the offensive, stabbing at the Knight with her saber-staff. Lira was quick to parry, and leapt to her right to give her an open shot at Rey. Rey brought the back end of her staff around to block the attack and stuck out her hand to push Lira with the Force.

As expected, Lira was very adept at fighting with the Force. She quickly matched Rey's Force-push with one of her own, and the battle stalled briefly. Rey broke the connection and swung her weapon downward, letting herself be push back, but slicing Lira's arm on her way backwards.

Lira shouted with pain, but quickly advanced on Rey as she got her footing once more. Behind her, Rey heard Trip shout in pain, and she allowed herself a quick glance to see him backpedaling in with an obvious limp, a burning hole in his black pants over his right thigh. Rey let out a growl of anger and met Lira's advancement with a frenzy of swings with her saber-staff.

Lira's eyes widened in wonder and fear at Rey's speed and power, only just able to block her attacks while backing up. Rey kicked the occupied Knight, and was reward with a stumble and a grunt—all the opening Rey needed to swing down with her saber and end the fight.

Unfortunately, a second yelp from Trip coincided with her victory, and Rey turned quickly to see Trip fall to the ground, his previously uninjured leg falling alone and separate from the rest of his body. Rey rushed forward, the Force aiding her attack, and the bigger Knight only had time to block one of her attacks before he, too, fell to the ground.

Rey dropped to her knees beside Trip, who breathed quickly, his eyes shut in obvious extreme pain. "You're okay, Trip," Rey whispered to him. "It hurts, but you're okay. We'll get you help and a home."

He nodded quickly. "Yeah. Okay. I'm okay." His breaths came in short bursts through his nose, but they gradually slowed. Whether the pain was subsiding, or he was simply getting used to it, Rey wasn't sure. But soon, his eyes opened to get a look at himself. One leg had a saber stab wound, probably a couple of inches deep. It would heal with a little bacta, and leave a small scar.

His right leg had been cut clean off, just above the knee. While the wound was cauterized for the most part by the angry heat of the saber, a trickle of blood dripped from the end of his leg and pooled slowly under him.

"Rey," came a voice behind her. It was slow, concerned, and like a balm for her aching heart.

"Finn," Trip responded before Rey could, looking over her shoulder, his eyes shooting immediately from his wound to his hero. Rey turned from the Knight and looked on the man who had, indeed, come back for her once more.

She squeezed Trip's hand reassuringly before standing up to embrace Finn. "I'm so proud of you," she whispered fiercely in his ear. "You did it, Finn."

He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and Rey couldn't help but feel an overwhelming security, a sureness. She breathed in his smell, sweaty and musky from battle, but undeniably _Finn_. And she had a new fear emerge as she clung to him. A fear she'd never let herself feel before.

But before she could reflect on it, Finn responded to her. "Well, Poe hasn't responded to my hails, yet. So I don't know that I did anything.

Rey pulled back, pushing her fears aside for a moment. "Finn, I want you to meet Trip," she said, motioning to the injured Knight. "He heard your broadcast."

Finn immediately knelt down next to the Knight and grabbed onto the young man's arm. Trip managed a smile despite the circumstances. "Finn—I want to know where I come from. I want to leave this fight. It's not mine."

Finn nodded quickly and reassuringly. "You don't have to fight anymore, Trip. You can do whatever you want."

He closed his eyes in obvious pain. Rey's heart beat hard against her chest as she watched the compassion on Finn's face. This could have _been_ Finn, Rey thought. If they'd started taking Troopers to fill the role of Knight just a few years earlier—surely they'd have found Finn and taken him. Corrupted him by forcing the Dark Side on him, never giving him a choice.

"I just want to leave," Trip managed.

Finn reached for his pocket and pulled out his transmitter. "Chewy," he called into it. "Meet us down in the courtyard. We've got a pickup for you."

Chewy roared back his acknowledgment, and Finn turned his attention back to Trip. "Our Wookiee friend will be here in just a moment. He can get you the medical attention you need. Rey and I will be right behind you."

He looked over to Rey, and she felt a surge of purpose and confidence flow through her. She nodded.

"We've got a little more work to do."

 

Poe watched, entranced, as the Jedi Order surrounded the four remaining Knights of Ren. Behind the standoff, First Order vehicles, weaponry, and Troopers stood impassively, removed from the battle and the war. Beside Poe, R2-D2 sat, projecting a transmission from the First Order. Leia had received a hail from the enemy, and she immediately sent her dear droid friend out to Poe.

"General Dameron," the officer called his attention from the impending battle. "Have the Knights ceased their fighting?"

"Admiral," Poe said, distractedly looking back out at the battlefield. "When it comes to Knights of Ren, ceasing battle is not enough. They must be removed from the fight."

And as if they heard his words, the Jedi engaged the Knights of Ren, clearly having not come to an understanding with words. Poe was impressed with the Jedi, and he made a mental note to commend Rey on her training and leadership when he saw her next. The new Jedi Order worked well together, heavily outnumbering these four Knights, and using it to their advantage. Within minutes, two Knights had been killed, on had been incapacitated via removal of a leg, and the fourth knelt before the young Jedi Koral with his hands both cut off—whose ardor had inspired Poe and amused him endlessly.

Now, however, Poe couldn't help but fear that zeal for battle and the fight. He looked through his macrobinoculars and saw a look on her face that told Poe he may be about to witness an execution. She even raised her saber slightly, and Poe could see the other Jedi speaking warnings to the young Koral. She looked at each of them, and Poe watched a visible peace flow over her features. She nodded, and backed away from the helpless and captured Knight.

Poe breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the Admiral's holo. "Okay, Admiral, we are ready to discuss terms of surrender and peace."

The Admiral looked like he wanted to strangle Poe. "I assure you, General, this is no surrender. This is mutiny, and—"

He was cut off as a blaster and a white-armored arm came into view in the holo and prodded the Admiral in the chest.

As it turned out, Finn's message didn't just cause a ceasefire on Lenspero. In the moments following the intergalactic broadcast, the battle devolved into chaos. Some Troopers started up the battle once more. Some Tie Fighters re-engaged against the Resistance's waning fleet. The bombardment from the Destroyers in orbit resumed. Some ground vehicles started moving towards the battlements again, led by the Knights of Ren.

But then, curiously, as the Resistance fought back, so too did some of the First Order. At first, it wasn't more than a couple of Tie Fighters, turning on their own. A few Troopers pointed their blasters at their comrades. But, after the courage of a few, a wave of peace flowed through the battle. Those who had resumed the battle stopped, either by being destroyed by their own, or by seeing Finn's invitation accepted with their own eyes, and stopping the fight.

Overhead, the bombardment ceased, and that was when R2-D2 came out to the battlements to give Poe the transmission. The Super Star Destroyer bridge had been infiltrated by defecting Troopers, and the Admiral had no choice but to order a surrender.

"The Resistance, along with the King and Queen of Lenspero, will hear your surrender, Admiral," Poe told his enemy. His heart beat wildly in his chest. He couldn't help the smile that crept on his face.

He gave a time for the summit and ended the transmission. He knelt in front of the droid that had seen so many wars. "Artoo, buddy. We did it." Artoo squealed happily and rocked back and forth.

"Now, can you open up communication to Finn? He's been hailing me for a few minutes, but I'd like to tell him right to his beautiful face that he did it. He won the war."

 

After ensuring Trip was comfortable and secure with Chewy looking after him, Finn exited the ramp of the Falcon to join Rey when BB-8 came rolling down after him excitedly.

A message from Poe.

A blue holo appeared in front of Finn, and from the grin on his face, Finn knew the news was good immediately. He glanced over at Rey with a grin, who came to his side. "Poe, how'd we do?"

"Finn, buddy!" Poe all but shouted. "You did it! The war just stopped after your message. Troopers overthrew their leaders, they abandoned the Knights of Ren, and they ended the fight. They've ended the First Order!"

Finn let out a strange noise, caught somewhere between a laugh and a joyful sob. Rey grasped his hand tightly and beamed up at him.  "And Rey," Poe continued. "The Jedi arrived just in time—without them, we wouldn't have lasted long enough for Finn to send the message. You've trained them very, very well."

Finn's stomach flipped as a blush stained her face. Even as Poe continued talking, he couldn't look away from her. "We're meeting in thirty minutes to discuss terms of surrender. Is this the end, Finn?"

Finn finally tore his eyes from Rey, who caught him staring before her blush grew deeper. "If Curoscant is this stripped of the military, I'm guessing they brought all of their forces to Lenspero," Finn explained. "Beyond that, Hux is dead, and many of the Knights were planning a coup on Kylo. He may be dead for all I know."

"He's not," Rey clarified, looking down at her feet. "In fact, I think he's preparing to leave the planet.

Finn's heart broke for her, so unwillingly connected to that monster that she could sense him and his movements when he was this near. He squeezed her hand. "We can't let him escape. The First Order may die even if he lives—but he is a threat too large to let get away."

She nodded at him, a resolution on her face that sent fear into Finn. He did not envy Kylo Ren in any way.

"I'll leave you two to it, then, while I talk surrender with the Admiral.  May the Force be with you."

"And you," Rey said, and the light flickered out.

Finn and Rey walked back towards the main tower of the Jedi Temple-turned Imperial Palace-turned Republic headquarters-turned First Order Capitol building. Rey sensed the Supreme Leader. Finn sympathized with her, distraught that she was unwillingly linked to that monster to the point of sensing his presence.

"He's up there," she said softly. She turned to him. "Finn, we can't let him get away."

"He deserves to die," Finn said definitively.

"He does," Rey agreed. Then she looked at the ground between them as she turned towards Finn. "But he also deserves to live."

Finn frowned and he waited for Rey to elaborate. She looked up at him with blazing eyes before she did. "He deserves to live knowing the pain and suffering he caused and feeling the Light tear him apart. He deserves to live with the guilt of killing Han. He deserves to live and know every day that we stopped him. That his hate and his anger and his evil didn't give him the power necessary to rule like he thought he deserved to."

Something stirred in Finn, and he responded. "He deserves to live, but with his freedom taken away like he took from millions of Troopers."

Rey's eyes softened; she nodded at his words. Then her gaze shot up, looking at the top of the enormous building. "Finn, he's moving. I think...I think there's a ship up there."

Finn reached out and grabbed her around the waist. "Fly with me this time?" he asked her, allowing himself to smile despite the fear budding in him. A knot was trying to form in his stomach, but having Rey in his arms kept the rope from tightening.

She smiled back at him. "Finn, before we go, I need to tell you..."

Finn gripped her waist tighter as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He watched her eyes dart from his eyes to his lips, and back again. "Yeah, Rey?" Finn whispered, thinking back to their rooftop conversation.

"I've been afraid my whole life," Rey started, her voice barely audible despite the relative calm of the usually bustling city. "Afraid of not being wanted. Afraid of not belonging. Afraid of losing the few people who I let myself care about."

"Rey..." Finn started, but Rey quickly cut him off.

"But I realized, watching you offer the Troopers a choice—that I've let my fear take away my choices my whole life. I never let myself consider leaving Jakku because I was afraid my family would come after I left. I thought I had to bring back Luke or turn Kylo Ren because I was afraid of doing this alone. And for three years, I've loved you and wanted to be right here in your arms—but I've been afraid I'd lose you."

Finn wasn't sure of the extent of the Force's power. He was only beginning to grasp how to control it and what it felt like, after all. But when time and space ceased existing, and it was just Rey and him holding each other in this perfect moment, Finn had no other explanation. Surely it was the Force that made him feel lighter than air, like his heart was on fire and his lungs were filled with pure joy. Surely it was the Force that weakened his knees and shortened his breath when she told him she loved him. Surely it was the Force that brought his head slowly forward, and Rey leaned forward to meet him.

But no. It wasn't the Force—and that was the point. For the first time since he'd grabbed her hand on Jakku, Rey wasn't reacting to destiny or a friend or an enemy. Rey was acting. She was making a choice.

Their lips were inches from each other when Rey spoke again. "The only thing I'm afraid of now is that I missed my chance to tell you how I feel, and missed our chance to be something more."

And she closed the gap between them like she'd never let herself do. Her lips pressed tightly against his and Finn tightened his grip around her waist and pulled her to his chest. Rey's lips moved slowly against his, and Finn let his eyes drift shut. Her lips were soft, unlike the calloused hands he'd held so often. She melted into his embrace and her hand moved slowly from his neck into his hair, her fingernails leaving a path of excited nerves behind them.

And for the briefest of moments, this was all that mattered in the galaxy. For a few seconds, Finn let himself focus only on Rey and the suffocating happiness he felt because of her. Because this was something worth fighting for. This was something worth living for.

They pulled back after a moment, grinning at each other and breathing heavily. "We need to go," Rey said, and she stepped onto Finn's boots gently. Finn had to resist the urge to kiss her again, especially now that they were at eye level and just inches away.

Finn nodded instead and started his jetpack thrusters, making sure his hold on Rey was secure—he didn't need to worry; he'd already been holding on for dear life during their kiss.

And the two flew along the building's side, knowing a battle was coming that could kill either or both of them. But that fear was distant. Because right now, they had each other, and Finn knew he'd fight like hell for Rey. He'd fight to have the life he'd always wanted. Free of the First Order and finally able to do what he wanted.

Before they reached the top of the building, Finn realized he'd forgotten something necessary. He smiled at Rey, who quirked her head at his look. The city lights casted a muted yellow across her face, and the wind of their flight blew her hair uncontrollably. Finn longed to run his hands through it, but was unfortunately more concerned with their safety at the moment. Her brow furrowed at Finn's prolonged stare, and he let out a chuckle at how adorable his Rey was.

"I love you, too," Finn said loudly, over the air flowing by them. He felt almost silly, as if he was shouting it from the rooftops. But he would gladly shout it from the rooftops, or from his jetpack over Curoscant. And from the smile on Rey's face, Finn thought she wouldn't mind if he broadcast it to the entire galaxy.

But the moment was broken when Finn felt something raw and wrong in his gut, like he'd swallowed an eel whole and it was resisting death in the acids of his stomach. He slowed his thrusters and focused on the feeling, slowly coming to the horrifying conclusion that the feeling was Kylo Ren.

"Do you..." Finn asked hesitantly as they neared the rooftop. "Do you feel this often?"

She shook her head quickly. "I don't think I'd survive if I felt him often. Only when he's close, or when I let some Darkness in."

Finn squeezed her tighter to his chest, and she hugged him. Finn felt himself grow stronger from her embrace, and felt his own Light buoy her.  "It's okay. We're together this time."

And then they emerged above the roof of the tower just in time to see Kylo leaving the elevator doors to the rooftop. He halted and slowly spun around to face Finn and Rey as Finn guided them gently to the rooftop, opposite Kylo Ren, Supreme Leader of an imploded state.

Rey stepped off of Finn's boots with a quick, readying nod, and together they turned to face him. Finn grabbed his blaster in one hand, his other hand floating over his shockwhip handle. To his side, Rey pulled her saberstaff from her back and they took tentative steps forward.

Kylo Ren hunched forward, and Finn saw his breathing grow ragged with fury. He stalked towards them, reaching almost violently for his saber hilt on his hip.

Within shouting distance now, Kylo did just that with petulant vigor. "You are a number!" he raged at Finn, igniting his saber to act as a pointing stick. "And you are no one!"

Rey took the insult in stride, and Finn let himself smile at her simple response. "And yet here we are."

The three slowed to a stop, weighing the fight before them. Finn's mind flashed back to Starkiller, the three of them freezing in the snow of the System Destroyer. Stars and sabers had been the only light that night. Now, the city lights were far too bright for any stars to shine down. Finn could see the anger in Kylo's eyes now. Something else, too. Betrayal. Maybe even fear. Finn reached out with the Force to get a better look at his enemy.

He was on edge, disbelief and denial at the state of his galaxy. And his eyes widened when he felt Finn's presence in his mind, quickly forcing him out. He reached out with a shaking hand, trying to push Rey as he did three years before. Rey brought her own hand up and easily held off his Force push. They remained for a few beats in a deadlock before he growled in frustration and turned his hand on Finn.

Finn felt the push and easily activated his jetpack thrusters to counter the Force. He hovered easily a few feet off of the ground until Kylo gave up. He had done this hundreds of times in spars with Rey—he was ready for anything the Darkside Force-user could throw at him.

Finn dropped back to his feet and the three resumed their staring. Next to him, Finn felt Rey's resolution building, a peace coming over her as she prepared for the fight ahead.

"I had no choice!" Kylo said, still shouting. "Luke tried to kill me—I had to join Snoke. I had to right the wrongs of the past."

Rey actually scoffed. "Luke made a mistake. But you had many choices beyond slaughtering his students and murdering countless others. You aren't his fault. You don't give yourself enough credit for your atrocities, _Supreme Leader_."

Kylo's face fell into determined anger. Clearly he knew he was no longer fooling anyone with the Light he had continually choked out.

And then they all charged.

Rey darted just ahead of Finn, and he laid down fire to keep Kylo on the defensive, deflecting Finn's blasts. Just as Rey reached Kylo and blocked Finn's angle, Finn jumped and thrust into the air, opening fire on Kylo from above. The red and blue blades clashed below, and Finn was reminded of the incredible power in Kylo's every swing.

But he had to leap back to avoid Rey's counter while bringing his saber up to deflect Finn's laser blasts. Finn narrowed his eyes, trying to see the advantage and use it. He dropped from the sky as Rey stepped back into Kylo's space and reengaged him in a backpedaling spar. Finn swung his shockwhip widely overhead, grinning at Kylo's wide eyes when the man realized what was coming.

Rey got a jab in Kylo's side when he was forced to meet the shockwhip with his saber. But he quickly turned with a painful shout to avoid her second, more fatal attack. The shockwhip wrapped a couple of times around his saber, and Finn pulled, trying to disarm his enemy.

But Kylo shouted and Finn felt the Dark power in him unleash. Kylo leapt backwards, tugging his weapon and Finn along with him. Finn tried to adjust midair and activate his thrusters, but the angle was all wrong from Kylo's raw power, and instead, Finn hurtled closer to Kylo.

Finn hit the ground and released his grip on his shockwhip, which deactivated and the end was promptly destroyed by Kylo's saber. Distantly, Finn heard Rey shout his name, and he quickly scrambled to his feet, leaving his shockwhip on the ground, to see her running towards them.

Behind him, Finn heard the sickening sound of an unsteady saber and his mind flashed once more to Starkiller, and the scar on his back twitched. Finn dove forward just in time, but his jetpack did not escape the reach of the red saber. Rey vaulted over him with a wide swing of her saberstaff, and Kylo blocked her attack with another backpedal.

Finn got to his feet once more and opened fire on Kylo, who continued to adjust his angle against Rey to keep Finn from attacking. Without his jetpack, Finn couldn't get a clean angle quick enough to maintain an advantage. He closed the distance between himself and the dueling pair to shorten the necessary arc he needed to move for that angle.

Now without his jetpack, though, Finn was vulnerable to the Force push that he had not yet learned how to negate with his own Force abilities. After getting Rey on her back foot after a strong swing of his saber, Kylo extended his hand toward Finn, halting a blast in mid-air and simultaneously launching Finn across the rooftop.

Finn hit the ground and slid. Disoriented as he was, Finn wasn't sure exactly where the roof edge was, but he knew it was close. The first moment he could, he threw his palms and knees into the rooftop to slow his slide.

"Finn!" he heard Rey shout as his legs went over the edge. He scrambled, clawing at the surface as his momentum pulled him further off the building edge. Finding just enough grip, Finn was able to catch himself on the edge and tried not to look down the hundreds of feet to the ground and his probable death.

He quickly heaved himself back onto the rooftop, clambered to his feet, looked up, and his world stopped.

Kylo Ren's saber was clean through Rey's torso. Her eyes were wide with shock and pain, her staff at her feet, unignited. Finn heard himself screaming Rey's name and running towards them, but he didn't know his own actions. He saw only the red of Kylo's saber lighting the face of his best friend.

Kylo turned on him, pulling his saber from her stomach and raising it for Finn. "Her love and attachment to the past is what killed her," he taunted. "You killed her."

Finn reached behind him as he sprinted and grabbed his lightsaber—Naz's old saber—and swung it directly over his head in a powerful arc. Kylo's eyes went wide with surprise at the reveal of the weapon and he fell backwards as he blocked the powerful strike. Finn gave him no time to recover, quickly advancing and swinging hard at the evil man. Kylo carefully slid on the ground, with one arm raising his saber to parry the attacks, while he tried to gather himself with the other.

"That saber was my Knight's," he said, still in disbelief as he finally got to his feet, still backpedaling to avoid Finn's deathly strike.

"He wasn't your Knight," Finn said between swings of his blade. "They all turned on you, Ren. You're all alone."

And Finn felt her Light, and saw her sit up, one hand on her wound, the other extended toward Kylo.

"And that is why you will lose."

Kylo sensed the Force freeze from behind him, and turned to counter Rey's attack, lifting his own hand. Finn batted the red saber away with his purple one, swung a second time through the left hand of Kylo, and a third time through his right hand.

He let out a scream of pain, and fell to his knees. Rey pointed her hand at Finn's shockwhip and sent it hurtling towards him. He caught the shortened weapon, swung it around Kylo and activated it. His scream turned into a short yelp, and he toppled to the side. Finn kept the current flowing until Kylo Ren lost consciousness and fell to his side with a thud.

Finn dropped the whip immediately and ran to Rey's side, cradling her head in his lap.

He quickly hit his comms button and shouted, "Chewy, bring the Falcon to the roof of the old Temple, quick!"

"Finn, I love you," Rey said, bringing his attention to her beautiful face. She had tears in her eyes, and her face was growing pale.

"This isn't goodbye, Rey," Finn demanded, his heart beating uncontrollable and heavy. "Don't you dare say goodbye to me."

"The Force is done with me," she said, acceptance in her voice. "But you still have work to do." He looked down at the wound through her stomach and knew it was only a matter of time. He didn't have the medicine, the equipment necessary to treat this wound in the time she had left. Her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing grew stilted. Damn Kylo Ren. Damn the First Order. And Damn the Force if it thought Rey was expendable now the war was done.

And something tugged in Finn at the thought. A song and a feeling in the air. In Rey.

The Force.

"Well, I'm not done with you. And my choice still counts for something."

Finn brought his hand over Rey's wound just as he had done to Naz's saber.

 _You healed it_ , Naz had said. If he could heal Kyber, maybe...maybe he could heal Rey, too.

So Finn reached with the Force. He found every lacerated organ and mended, every cauterized cell and salved, every disconnected vein and nerve and joined. And he felt the Force acquiescing. In fact, the more he healed, the more he realized—it wasn't his will that the Force was yielding to. Rather, they had found a will together.

And so Finn willed Rey to live. In his mind's eye, he saw her back with her Jedi Order. He saw her smiling with General Organa over the peace of the galaxy she'd helped restore. He saw her and Poe and Rose laughing over a warm meal. He saw her slumbering peacefully beside him in his bed, eyes fluttering open and smiling at him when she caught him watching her sleep.

And her eyes did flutter open. "Finn?" her voice was weak, but strengthening. Under his hand, her skin was whole, if scarred. Finn let out a joyful sob, leaning forward to pull her into a tight hug.

Overhead, the Falcon approached, its spotlight finding Rey sitting up and hugging Finn back. He would never let go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized as I was writing Finn and Rey kissing that this was quite the slow burn. But, it almost didn't feel that way while I was writing it? I hope it was always obvious they loved each other deeply. I hope that even if the romantic part of their relationship wasn't official for a long time, it was obvious that they were each other's soul mates, as far as that term can exist without existing. I hope that their separation in this fic felt real due to character and not like forced drama to make a story longer.
> 
> I also really hope you enjoyed them getting together!
> 
> I went back and forth on Kylo's end so many times. And honestly, I think it would have been fine if I'd offed him. If Finn had sliced through his torso instead of his hands, or if Rey had Force pushed him off the building. I think that could have worked. Ultimately, Rey being the ultimate Jedi, and believing the lessons of Luke even if Luke wasn't exactly in the best state to teach them, felt best for her character. For Finn, whose agency was stolen by the First Order, it felt right for justice to be served in the form of imprisonment for Kylo.
> 
> Thanks to everyotherfreckle and lj-writes on Tumblr for their help!
> 
> As for Kylo, we'll get just a glimpse into his mind in the final chapter, so I'll leave my breakdown of why it felt like a fitting end for him there.


	15. Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic took me longer to write than I would've liked. But I'm really pleased with it, and so happy to have completed something of this length. I really hope you've enjoyed it, and I provided a satisfying conclusion to the Sequel Trilogy!

When he awoke, his jaw hurt . He'd clenched it rather tightly while being shocked unconscious. His side felt like it was on fire where the Scavenger had gotten in a blow. But both injuries paled in comparison to the excruciating pain at his left elbow and right forearm, each with bandages haphazardly applied so as to stop any bleeding where the wound hadn't cauterized.

His hands were gone.

Kylo Ren's breaths started coming fast and sharp as the realization sunk in. He'd lost it all. His Empire. His Knights. His Power.

Instead, he sat tied up in the chambers of the _Millennium Falcon_. It had been many years since he'd spent any time here, but he'd know this ship anywhere. He had memories of Ben Solo rushing into this very room to wake his parents.

 _We're here, we're here!_ He'd shouted, jumping on his dad playfully. Han Solo had grabbed young Ben playfully and wrestled him to the tight space between Han and Leia, with a patient groan at his son's antics and laughter.

 _Ben,_ Leia had said with a sigh. _We can stay in orbit for a few more hours. Let us sleep._

But she had looked at her son so fondly, so lovingly, he knew he could get them out of bed and to their destination. Naboo. Where he'd learn of his grandmother's lasting legacy. Where a memorial to Alderaan had been built the previous year. He would learn of his heritage.

Kylo shook his head and tried to breathe. He fought the memory and focused on the pain. The pain and the anger at having been stopped just when he had started fulfilling his destiny. If he focused, he might be able to use the Force to break out of the stun cuffs around his ankles and the electric band pinning him to the bench.

Instead, as he let the Force back in, he immediately sensed the Wookiee, the Traitor, a Knight of his, and...and the Scavenger. How had she survived?

The door opened and all except his Knight entered the small quarters. Kylo glared at them, still unable to believe he'd lost to them. And that the Scavenger stood. He looked at the hole in the torso of her garb and saw the glistening skin of a scar—deformed but otherwise perfectly healed. How had he been unconscious long enough for her to get completely healed? That should have taken a couple of days at least, and that's if she got immediate medical attention with a bacta suit or chamber.

Chewbacca spoke first, growling in absolute fury at Kylo. It had been almost a decade since he'd listened to Shyriiwook, but he understood well enough.

"Han loved you! He gave everything for you, and you killed him."

"His love was a weakness," Kylo spoke, as he'd trained himself to do and believe. Somehow though, on this ship, his words rang hollow to himself for the first time in years. "In order to rule this galaxy the way it needed to be ruled, I had to kill him."

But the pain and regret he'd pushed down three years ago emerged for the first time. When he'd killed Snoke and taken his place, it was all so clear. So obvious that he'd done the right thing. And yet, on this ship, faced with the creature who'd helped raise him, Kylo had to stop looking at him and stop thinking about killing Han Solo.

Chewbacca apparently had to stop looking at him as well. The Wookiee turned and left the quarters with a growl that would have scared off a Rathtar.

FN-2187 held the Scavenger's hand reassuringly as the girl glared at Kylo. Kylo watched her closely, and a terrible thought came into his mind. He saw Ben Solo in Rey. She was what Ben could have been. The true successor to a failed Anakin and Luke Skywalker, the chosen one of the Light. Taking over the mantle of Jedi Master for Luke.

But he also saw Han in her—she'd even adopted a vest in the wake of Solo's death. She was an orphan like Ben's father. Self-made like Ben's father. A crack pilot like Ben's father.

And he saw Leia in her. Fierce, strong-willed, and unyielding in her Light and fight for the galaxy.

Ben Solo should have been that Chosen One.

But no, Kylo thought to himself. He had no choice. He was destined for more than following Luke Skywalker around and intervening in minor disputes the Republic asked him to mediate. Destined for more than a quiet life of peace and trivial missions. Besides, Snoke had been right. Luke was afraid of him. Luke wanted to kill him and he'd never have been able to be his successor.

He had no choice.

He tore his gaze from the Scavenger as the conflict and pain in his soul grew to exceed the pain in his arms. He looked at the Trooper, instead. The Traitor. The man who broke his conditioning. Who was told he was a number and decided he didn't want to be. Who had no reason to feel the Light, but did in spite of that. And chose it.

A man who'd had no choice, but had made one anyway.

Kylo shook his head violently. "Get out!" he raged at them and their silent, defiant stare.

As if sensing his every thought and emotion, FN-2187 calmly responded. "Enjoy captivity, Traitor. You'll wear it well."

And they left the room hand in hand. And Kylo was utterly alone.

 

Finn descended the ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_ with a blaster to Kylo's back. Rey marched beside Finn, hand on her saber-staff, ready to ignite it. She squinted her eyes as the sun rose on a new day on Lenspero. BB-8 rolled quickly past them all, clearly anxious to get back to Poe to relate his heroics. And finally, Chewy brought up the rear, bowcaster in hand should Kylo try anything.

Finn had a sneaking suspicion the Supreme Leader wouldn't be trying to escape.

The stun cuffs around his ankles forced him to take very small steps, and both the cuffs and the band around his torso acted as a stun failsafe should one of them fail or be removed before being deactivated. On top of all of that, without his hands, Kylo stood no chance against Finn or Rey, much less the entire Resistance that he marched in front of toward his cell.

Outside the First Order base, various members of Resistance and Troopers stood and watched the previous lord of the galaxy taking slow, pitiful steps toward the main building. Their faces contorted with varying degrees of disgust, but not one eye looked on with admiration. The Troopers, having removed their helmets, let their faces show with pride in front of the man who'd subjugated and controlled them. The Resistance members almost _smiled_ mockingly at the man—they had not been scared into submission.

And it all added to the real reason Finn wasn't worried the Dark Sider would try to escape. Kylo was _defeated_. Finn felt it on the ship. His soul was being torn apart, like how Rey described it when she told him about their interactions on Ahch-To. She'd been devastated that she'd fallen for his trap—but now Finn understood it. The man had been born in Light, he'd been showered with it his whole upbringing. There was no denying where he came from and it poured out of him in droves, especially now that he wasn't fighting it, but letting it consume his soul with regret and guilt and pain.

However, Rey had learned her lesson, and Finn didn't let it fool him for a second. The fact that he had so much Light in him made his actions _more_ abominable—not a sign that he would turn from them. Kylo had chosen Darkness despite having every reason not to. He had insisted on murder and betrayal for his own power and gain knowing it was Dark and wrong, but believing it was the correct choice anyway.

And now, head bowed in misery as his mind and soul tore at themselves, Kylo stumbled toward the First Order cell that had been built for Jedi. It was a temporary holding—apparently Leia had been working on something for her son for some time—but it would do just fine until they were ready to move him permanently.

Finn slowed for a moment as he saw his family standing just outside the entrance to the First Order base. Rey caught his movement and nodded towards them. "Go ahead, Finn. Be with your family."

"Rey, I'm not going to leave you wi—"

"Finn," she said with an impatient raise of her eyebrows. "We're surrounded by Resistance. _And_ I'm pretty sure I can handle him right now."

Kylo kept his head bowed, and Finn felt little to no reaction from him at Rey's insulting words. He truly was beaten.

"Besides," she continued. "Leia will likely want as few witnesses to their reunion as possible. But you discovered your family and haven't said more than two words to them."

Finn sighed. That wasn't quite true—he'd spent some quality time with them planning his infiltration of this very base after Rey had left. But that wasn't exactly what Rey was talking about. And he knew she was right. "Join us as soon as you can?" he asked.

He noticed just a twinge of hesitation before she nodded. "Of course."

He smiled at her, kissed her on the cheek, and said, "Good luck." Then he broke off from the prisoner escort and made his way over to the Royal Family.

His father and mother beamed at him. His sisters smiled widely as he approached. Finn shook his head slowly and let out a chuckle of disbelief. He fell into their open arms without a second thought and was embraced by a family. His family.

So caught up in disbelief and joy, the following minutes passed without Finn being able to catch up to them. Ahvmel— _no_ , his father—talked about the great battle that had taken place. His mother Jocefene would interject as she was reminded of the great work needed to bring Lenspero back to prosperity. Not to be outdone, his sisters Sareh and Merim—though absent from the battle at their parents' command—would highjack the conversation to talk about their own secret battles against the First Order over the years as they limited the amount of aid they were actually providing to the militaristic state.

Before he even realized what was happening, Finn found himself in the mess hall, eating breakfast with his family. It was a surreal experience, sitting in a canteen not much different from the ones he ate at for most of his upbringing in the First Order. Only now, he was laughing with his sisters about the ways they outsmarted First Order officials. He observed his mother, and got to know her personality as she scolded her children with a smile. He received repeated praise from his father as Finn described his own day to them since they'd last spoken.

As the family finished their breakfast, and their plates were pushed towards the middle of the table so they could lean forward and simply talk to one another, the conversation turned to the future.

"Samuel," his mother started, before shaking her head and berating herself. "Finn, sorry. I hope you know that you have a home here with us. You can be a prince of Lenspero, learn of our history, culture, and customs. You can be the future king."

Finn's heart beat faster at the invitation. He felt a smile come to his face at his mother's kind, open gaze. But his eyes wandered around the hall, to the countless Troopers whose helmets had been removed.

"Mother," he started, and reached across the table to grab her hand. "I am truly humbled to be your son, and it makes me happier than you know." He looked at each member of his family as he continued. "And I will gratefully and proudly take on the name Finn Spero.

"But I am not Prince Samuel, no matter how wonderful that life sounds. I have a different purpose, and that is to the hundreds of thousands of Troopers like me."

Finn saw the sadness in his mother's eyes. But he saw the understanding, and the _pride_ as well.

"You know what they called the program of abducting children and raising them as soldiers? They called it _Project Resurrection_. The idea was that this program would resurrect the Empire—and in a way it did. But it also ended the First Order. And I believe it is a rather fitting name for my own project, to return them to their families or to find them new vocations and homes if necessary. To help them become independent and successful in the galaxy. To give them new life."

"Well, we want to help," his father said definitively.

His mother nodded. "Our planet can be one of many to house and employ former Troopers as they get back on their feet and find out what they want to do."

Merim joined in the discussion, seeming to grow excited by the program. "And we will provide schooling and education—especially for those not old enough to work, yet."

Finn's heart burst with happiness and awe at his family. How eager they were to help him—help all the Troopers. The task ahead was daunting, but he believed.

And then Rey walked through the open door of the hall, eyes searching for him. The room somehow seemed to grow brighter. She caught his eye and he motioned her over with a wave of his hand and a wide smile. When she arrived, and Finn stood to greet her with another kiss on the cheek. Her cheeks flushed a light red as she turned to his family.

"I know you didn't have the chance to formally meet her, but this is Rey," Finn said with a smile, and he turned back to her and winked. "My best friend who I was lucky enough to fall in love with."

"Hello," Rey said timidly, waving a hand. "It's so lovely to meet you—you have a truly wonderful son and brother." She was nervous, and it was endearingly obvious.

Finn's mother stood from the table and walked around it quickly. "Oh Sweetie," she said. "In the last two days, we've seen you free our planet, help our son through a trying emotional time, and save the galaxy. You don't need to worry about any first impressions with us."

She wrapped Rey in a tight hug, and Finn grinned at the utter relief that came over Rey's features as she returned the embrace.

They all sat down together at the table, and Finn's sisters immediately engaged Rey in rigorous conversation about leading the Jedi Order and how well-trained the new Jedi seemed to be.

Finn leaned back in his chair and watched in wonder as his family fell in love with Rey just as he had.

An hour later, Finn and Rey admitted to his family that they hadn't properly slept in two days, and begged their forgiveness for needing to retire for a short nap. They waved away the apology and sent them on their way.

Just as they were leaving the First Order base to make their way back to the _Falcon_ , they found BB-8 and Poe. For a long moment, the three of them simply stood there and smiled at one another.

"General," Finn said, the smile on his face growing.

"Commander, Master Rey," Poe responded formally before laughing aloud. "You did it!"

He stepped forward and embraced the pair, who quickly wrapped their arms around him in return. BB-8 rolled around them in ecstasy, beeping loudly and frantically for all to hear.

" _We_ did it?" Rey questioned dubiously. "You made it all possible."

They pulled back from their embrace and Poe sized them up as Finn grasped Rey's hand once more. With a smile and nod at Finn, he breathed a long sigh of relief. "It is a happy day, friends. I can't thank you enough for helping make it happen."

 

A few days later, Rey found herself in a place she never thought she'd be. She stood at the bottom of the ramp of the _Falcon_ staring at a felled AT-AT, half sunk in sand. Her old home on Jakku.

The heat was nearly unbearable, and Rey wasn't sure how she'd lived here for her whole youth. Just ten seconds in the sun, and she was worried her skin would burn. And she'd forgotten the near instantaneous need for a drink that the planet created.

Slowly, she marched towards the destroyed vehicle with only a satchel around her shoulder. With each step, she fought the memories that threatened to overwhelm her. The time she had hobbled back to this place with a broken ankle after a particularly nasty fall. Alone. The time she huddled in fear inside, listening to the strange voices of creatures she'd never seen before, waiting for them to pass or find her. Alone. And the hunger—always the hunger and the fear that she wouldn't find enough scrap for her next meal. Alone.

Rey calmed her breathing and clambered into her old home. It was mostly empty, but for her makeshift table where she'd prepared her rations, and the scratch marks she'd left on the wall, indicating each day she'd survived Jakku.

Finn had warned her after his trip here to retrieve her doll Raeh that the place had been looted almost completely. Still, it was a bit of a shock to see her old home so empty.

Then again, it was never a home. In fact, the only thing here that she'd had emotional attachment to had been her doll. She reached into her satchel, and pulled it out. She held it in her hands tenderly, even smiling at her. All those times she was alone, she hadn't quite been. She'd had Raeh. When Rey was scared or hurt or hungry, Raeh was there to comfort her.

But Finn's words upon returning Raeh to her stuck with Rey. _You always need to remember that_ Rey _is enough. You are more than enough_.

They resonated so completely, Rey believed the words so fully, that she had to let go of Raeh. She'd told Finn, and he understood completely. She felt a little guilty at first, like she wasn't grateful for his extremely thoughtful gift. That he'd be insulted.

But Finn had been proud of her instead.

"Thank you for being there for me, Raeh," Rey whispered to her doll. She knew the doll wasn't alive; that any encouragement she'd received from it had been from her own imagination. But despite this knowledge, Rey still felt indebted to and love for this inanimate object. "But now I realize that Rey— _me—_ I am enough. And when I'm alone, I'll be fine. And maybe that's why I'll never be alone again."

Rey smiled again at her doll and clutched it to her breast. She breathed in one long sigh of relief before setting the doll on the table. She took one last glance at the marks on her AT-AT and smirked victoriously at the wall. She held back a scoff—because Jakku threw its worst at her, and she'd survived. And she didn't need to lord her victory over the hellish planet. She just needed to know that she'd won.

She left the AT-AT with light shoulders, and a brighter countenance. And as if sensing her fulfillment, Finn had stepped down the ramp and waited for her return. He observed her with that same pride and adoration that always seemed to accompany his gaze.

She stepped up to him, knowing she wasn't alone anymore. But beyond that, she wasn't afraid of the possibility, either. She took a gratifying breath and stopped at the foot of the _Falcon_ with him.

"You know, Leia has offered me on multiple occasions to officially join her family and take on her name."

"Rey Organa," Finn spoke out loud, not thrown by her strange commentary in this moment. "I like it."

Rey smiled. "I do too. I used to refuse it because I was terrified of getting too close to her. And then losing her."

Finn nodded with understanding. And Rey knew he truly did understand. In fact, she felt his very presence inside of her, lifting her and supporting her. "And now?" he asked.

"Now, I don't want to take it on because I already know who I am."

Finn quirked his head. She reached out and took his hand. "That isn't to say I won't _ever_ take on another person's name. You've just found one, after all, and it has a nice ring to it." She gave him a shy grin, and his eyes widened with a surprised happiness that Rey felt herself. "And maybe I'll accept because I _do_ know who I am, and a name won't change that. But being a part of a family isn't about blood or a legal name. Whether I honored Han and became Rey Solo, or accepted Leia's offer to be an Organa. If Luke appeared to me right now and asked me to be a Skywalker, what would it all change?"

Finn nodded and grabbed both her hands in his. He smiled gently at her. "Nothing. You'll always be Rey. Strong, brilliant, beautiful Rey. Peace-bringer, Light-giver, Jedi."

Rey rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "You're so cheesy."

Finn just grinned back at her. "Speaking of the Jedi—where will you set up the Order again?"

"We've decided to rebuild the Temple on Ago-Bredah," she replied. "We want to stay out of the New Republic's way as they reform, and it will give us time to reflect on the Jedi's place in the galaxy. But I won't be staying with them."

Finn's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"There are many more qualified Jedi than me to train and instruct the next generation. I meant it when I said the Force was done with me." She looked down at her feet before stepping closer to Finn. "It's time for me to figure out what I want now."

Finn beamed and released her hands to grip her waist. She snaked her arms around his neck. "You could always help me out with Project Resurrection."

"I think that's exactly where I'll start," she grinned at him. "Besides, you and I have some learning to do about the Force."

"I guess I should resume my training," he admitted.

" _Your_ training?" Rey asked with a smile. "I was talking about you teaching me—the Jedi haven't had a healer in hundreds of years. A result of the strict acceptance criteria the old Jedi Order put in place."

"Well, then I'm glad to have been born in the era of the new Order," Finn replied easily. "The old one got a few things wrong."

He leaned forward and kissed her gently.  She sighed happily as their lips parted.

"Come on," he whispered, still inches from her. "Let's go home."

They walked back up into the _Falcon_ without a backward glance at the AT-AT _._ Instead, Rey observed the ship as they walked through it. It may be old, but Rey wasn't sure it had ever seen better days. They moved to the cockpit and took their seats. Starting the engines, she lifted them up past the atmosphere quickly.

Glancing over at Finn, who smiled warmly back at her, Rey nodded. "Home."

And the ship blasted into hyperspace, leaving the planet Jakku behind forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm about to vomit nonsense about this writing experience. Please feel free to skip all of this. Thanks for reading!
> 
> I'm so happy to have completed this, and accomplished most of my goals. In no particular order 1) Make Finn a vital part of the plot. 2) Make Finn a memorable character, both from a character arc perspective and on the badass scale. Oh, and force sensitive in a way that fits the first two movies. 3)  Let Kylo be a villain—whether he's got Light left in him or not, it doesn't matter at this point. He's repeatedly made his choices. 4) Stormtrooper Rebellion! 5) Tie in the PT and OT—not only did I bring in Curoscant and Bespin (and Lando!), but I liked the idea of the final trilogy mirroring the PT's end—except instead of Order 66 turning troopers against the Jedi Order, Finn's uprising turns the troopers against the First Order. Orders just need to die, I guess. 6) Let all characters learn their lessons (even if I had to make some up) from TLJ. 7) In that vein, use TLJ for the characters' good somehow. And Finally, 8) Give Rey a conclusion to her abandonment issues. I hope it came across that letting Finn into her life completely was a result of her growth, not the cause of it. Oh, and I guess 9) Finnrey. But that was always a given...
> 
> There was plenty I didn't do with this fic. I had a 200,000 word story in my head at various parts of the planning and writing stages. Many things were cut so that I knew I'd finish, and I could keep the story telling tight and the pace quick. If you're curious, I could share a couple of thoughts I had on the longer version of this fic, but I'm rather happy with the way it turned out, so there's no use in getting into what I _didn't_ do right here.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Sorry it took as long as it did, but I'm so happy to have this completed. Between my narcissism and need for validation, I'd love to hear people's thoughts about the fic and engage in any discussion you'd like about these great characters or the fic. So please let me know what you thought!!


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